Book ~ "99 Reasons Everyone Hates Facebook" (2013) Emmet Purcell

From Goodreads ~ Writer Emmet Purcell is a simple man with simple tastes. He likes keeping things short and simple, which is why Facebook appealed to him when it first surfaced. However, as it inevitably transformed from being a well-loved social outlet for friends and family into an egotistical, duck pose-laden, virtual farming-centric nightmare, he decided to take a humorous tongue-in-cheek "poke" at the social website in his new release 99 Reasons Everyone Hates Facebook.

“With over one billion worldwide users, Facebook has become a part of our social identity … for good or ill. Mostly ill,” says Purcell. “But rather than wag a disapproving finger at the website itself, I decided to point out such inanities as creating a Facebook page for your pets, giving out WAY too much personal information, Face-Bragging and being one of the 48,000 people who have been suckered into clicking on ‘Join if you love your dad/mom/Jesus.”

99 Reasons Everyone Hates Facebook consists of nine chapters that contain 10-12 "reasons" each, with each chapter focusing on some of the biggest Facebook offenders around. For example:

Reason #1 - Huge numbers of people gather together on Facebook to form the most pointless of groups
Reason #23 - Posting song lyrics as a status message
Reason #33 – Spending real money on virtual goods
Reason #64 - The plight of Facebook’s only other Mark Zuckerberg
Reason #70 - Facebook was mean to a really, really old woman
Reason #95 - Don't like Timeline? Tough luck

The author has listed 99 reasons he feels everyone hates Facebook ... it's amazing he could come up with 99 (and I found most of them valid)!  They are divided up by chapters:

1. Idiots
2. Attention Seekers
3. Apps
4. Desperate Facebookers
5. To Much Information
6. Party Poopers
7. Social Harassment
8. The Impact of Facebook
9. Timeline

I'm on Facebook and thought this book would be fun ... and it was.  The writing style was funny and sarcastic.

The author made note of a lot of things that annoy me too including:

1. Sideways photos
2. Vaguebookers - Putting stuff like "Wondering if it's worth it" as a status.  They are designed to bait unwitting friends to ask what's wrong and then they reply with stuff like "I don't want to talk about it".  I don't get sucked up into those games.
3. Facebook "quitters" - Instead of just quitting, they (as attention seekers) announce that they are going to quit Facebook ... and then don't because their friends beg them not to.  If you are going to quit, quit!
4. Facebook farmers - I don't play games on Facebook so stop inviting me to play.
5. The utterly useless Notes function - what's the point of it?
6. No "Dislike" button

If you're on Facebook, you'll probably be able to relate to a lot of the reasons in this book.

Trius wine club - May 2013

We picked up our box from Trius at the post office today (we weren't home when they tried to deliver it yesterday).

Gord and I have been members of the Trius Wine Club (formerly the Hillebrand Wine Club) for over ten years.

Every month, 2 bottles of our best wine will be delivered to your door along with Winemaker Craig McDonald’s tasting notes and Chef Frank Dodd’s recipes.

The cost is about $40 a month and it's only available in Ontario.

Here's what we got this month ...

• Trius Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2011 ($19.75) ~ We're not fans of chardonnay but we'll give it a try.  The recipe included that pairs with it is Crab Beignets
• Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($12.95) - The recipe included that pairs with it is Tomato and Sweet Pepper Bisque

What woke me up this morning

I have problems falling asleep and staying asleep ... but I have no problem sleeping in on the weekends with Gord (so I take advantage of it to catch up on my sleep).

I woke up this morning about 9:00 to what sounded like a tank driving back and forth, back and forth in the parking lot outside our bedroom window.  Huh?

Then there was constant chip-chip-chipping at something outside our living room window.  I jokingly said to Gord that it sounded like they were on our terrace.

When I got up at 9:45am, I looked out our living room window and sure enough there was a guy on our terrace chip-chip-chipping at something.

I ducked out when he left for a while to see what was going on and saw that he had removed some bricks from the wall (and had swept up the mess).

They are doing the same next door.

And I can't yell at them for waking me up cuz it wasn't that early.  Ha!

Update:  The roof decks on the upper units have leaked for years ...the water has moved down through the units and apparently affected the integrity of the bricks supporting the outside stairs.

Peggy's Corner, King Street W/Bay Street, Toronto, ON

I had read that on Wednesday the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency installed a 28 foot replica of the Peggy's Cove lighthouse downtown.  It is a enticement for people to visit the Peggy's Cove in person this summer.

My doctor's office is a block away so I stopped in afterwards this morning.

Book ~ "Beyond the Bridge" (2013) Tom MacDonald

From Goodreads ~ Dermot Sparhawk, a former all-American football star at Boston College, returns in Beyond the Bridge, the sequel to Tom MacDonalds award-winning debut novel, The Charlestown Connection. 

In Beyond the Bridge, Sparhawk, a struggling alcoholic, agrees to help find the killer of an accused pedophile priest. When two more priests are slain in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood, it becomes evident that it is the work of a sadistic serial killer who crucifies his prey after killing them. 

Sparhawk blazes an unconventional trail to the killer that puts him at odds with the very people he is trying to help and initiates a turf war with law enforcement. He gathers a cadre of unlikely allies, including a parish priest, a police lab criminalist, the district attorney and a state police lieutenant who help to rebuff attempts to derail him from the case. Then, with the help of his Micmac Indian cousin and his paraplegic tenant and former Boston College teammate, Sparhawk bulldozes his way to the truth, while putting his own life at risk.

Dermot is a former college football star whose days of glory are long behind him.  He shares a house with his aunt (they have separate apartments) and he runs a food bank for the Catholic diocese.  He is an alcoholic who has blackouts where he occasionally lands in the hospital or jail.

Priests start getting murdered and it's soon evident there is a serial killer on the loose.  The brother of one of the priests asks Dermot to prove his brother's innocence (the brother was accused of being a pedophile).  The diocese supports this and gets the DA and police's cooperation for Dermot.  As Dermot races back and forth across the state following hunches, more people die and Dermot wonders if he will be next.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was so-so.  I wanted to like it more but couldn't.

I thought the story was an interesting one ... I like murder mysteries.

The writing could have been tighter.  As a head's up, the language at times is for mature readers.

I found it unbelievable that Dermot is an alcoholic who works runs a food bank with no training or experience in investigation.  Yet the diocese puts their faith behind him to solve the murders.  In fact, the diocese is powerful enough to force the DA and Boston police force to provide Dermot with all the information they have.  Really??!!  In reality, this would be confidential.  During his blackouts, Dermot blabs the confidential information he knows yet there are no repercussions and he keeps getting more information from the police.

I thought the whodunnit was an interesting twist (I hadn't seen it coming) but I found it amazing that Dermot figured it all out and the police didn't have a clue.  I didn't really buy who was killing the priests considering who it was and all the lengths they'd gone to.

I found the obscure references to Nova Scotia interesting (that's where I'm from), though, so I wonder if the author has roots there.  Dermot's father was a "Micmac Indian" from a small town called Antigonish (I lived there for a few years) ... I found it odd that he specifically tells us what and where it is.  Dermot's cousin recruits a friend of his from there to help for a bit.  And he makes mention of Molson Canadian beer a few times.

Book ~ "Defiant Heart" (2013) Marty Steere

From Goodreads ~ Two extraordinary characters. One unforgettable love story.

In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town. He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the mayor’s daughter. A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team. To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys. That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart through the efforts of Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections. For months, Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism. Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk, and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives. If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

Marvella hadn't spoken to her daughter, Claire, in almost twenty years.  Marvella had given Claire an ultimatum ... either stop seeing Frank (because he was Jewish) or Marvella never wanted to see her again.  Claire chose Frank.  It's now May 1941.  Jon is 17 and the only survivor of a car crash that kills his parents (Claire and Frank) and his older brother.  Because his only living relative is Marvella, he goes to live with her.  Marvella is 80, widowed and barely getting by ... she doesn't need or want the burden of raising Jon, who is a reminder of how she failed as a mother.

School starts and things aren't going too bad for Jon.  He has a part-time job in a hardware store and a few friends, including Mary, who is the daughter of the mayor and owner of the hardware store.  That all changes when it's discovered he is Jewish ... no one talks to him and he's fired from his job.  Because of her father's political aspirations, Mary is forbidden to see Jon.  She complies with this for a while but then secretly starts dating him.  Then a tragedy happens that drastically changes the course of everyone's lives.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It was an interesting story ... Jon and Mary's personal challenges along with the townspeople's prejudices set against the threat of America having to enter WWII.  I liked the writing style ... I thought it flowed and was well-paced.

There were lots of characters and they were developed well.  I liked Jon and Mary.  Despite their young ages, they were mature and the things that happened to them made them even more so.  It was a different time, a different place.  It was nice to see hard and cold Marvella mellow a bit as the story progressed.  I found Vernon annoying and a bit too much of a bully ... I was hoping something horrible would happen to him.  Mary's father was horrible in putting his interests ahead of those of his daughter's.  Ben and Walt were fun supportive characters and Jon was lucky to have them in his lonely life.

I would recommend this book and look forward to reading others by this author.

Book ~ "I'm a Dog, You're a Cat: Love Lessons from Our Furry Friends" (2011) Marla Press

From Goodreads ~ I'm a Dog, You're a Cat is a short, delightfully humorous book filled with beautiful watercolor illustrations that highlight the sometimes quirky personality traits of felines and canines and how they mirror those of humans, especially as it relates to their interpersonal relations. Dog and cat owners who are in relationships will understand and appreciate the correlations and conclusions drawn from this unique comparison. How wonderful it would be if we were able to discover a new insight that helped us all communicate more effectively with the special people in our life. This book will help you identify if you are hard-wired more like a cat or a dog and how to understand that dog or cat in your life. By using a little humor to gain a deeper appreciation of your partner, you can begin to understand their behavior and how to react in those instances when you just don't see eye to eye on things.

It's not about gender, age or being married or single ... it applies to your relationships with your friends, your boss and your significant other.  There are examples of five couples, their cat and dog characteristics and how they work together.

  This is a cute fun quick read with lots of colourful drawings.

Check out the quiz to see if you are a dog or a cat.  I did and I am a cat (which sounds like me) ...

When cats go to the litter box they don't want anyone to watch. They don't even like for you to know when they have gone into the box. They will stay in the box until every last thing is buried. Likewise, a human "cat" tends to deal with problems by him or herself. Cats prefer to be introspective and spend time in their "cat caves" until the problems are solved or at least adequately pondered.

Cats tend to be moodier than dogs. They can be emotional, romantic, funny, engaging, but only when they WANT to be. It's always about them, even if they don't think it's about them.

Cats are loving and loyal, and they love being loved when they want to be loved. Otherwise, they'd probably prefer you let them have a little bit of space and some quiet time in which to think.

Cats tend to work with a singular focus. They are very concentrated and intense. If a problem happens, a cat will work out what he or she sees as the best way to solve the problem. If that doesn't work, then the cat will think about it some more.

Book ~ "In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero" (2012) Otto Penzler

From Goodreads ~ Join award-winning mystery editor Otto Penzler and a first-rate lineup of mystery writers as they go in pursuit of Spenser and the man who created him, Robert B. Parker. These are the writers who knew Parker best professionally and personally, sharing memories of the man, reflections on his impact on the genre, and insights into what makes Spenser so beloved.

Ace Atkins, the author chosen to take up Parker’s pen and continue the Spenser series, relates the formative impact Spenser had on him as a young man; gourmet cook Lyndsay Faye describes the pleasures of Spenser’s dinner table; Lawrence Block explains the irresistibility of Parker’s literary voice; and more. In Pursuit of Spenser pays tribute to Spenser, and Parker, with affection, humor, and a deep appreciation for what both have left behind.

Includes a reprinted piece on Spenser from Robert B. Parker.

Contributors:

• Ace Atkins 
• Lawrence Block 
• Reed Farrel Coleman 
• Max Allan Collins 
• Matthew Clemens 
• Brendan DuBois 
• Loren D. Estleman 
• Lyndsay Faye 
• Ed Gorman 
• Parnell Hall 
• Jeremiah Healy 
• Dennis Lehane 
• Gary Phillips 
• S.J. Rozan 

I've read some books in the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker (he wrote 39 of them) and enjoyed them ... so that's why this book caught my eye.  I wasn't a fan of his Jesse Stone series and hadn't heard of his Sunny Randall series.

Parker died suddenly in January 2010 and his estate has hired Ace Atkins to continue on with the series ... it should be interesting to see if he can carry on in the same spirit (I hope so).

Each of the contributors added an essay about Parker and/or Spenser.  I found that some were more interesting than others.  It was good to learn more about Parker ... for example, he and his wife, Joan, got married in 1956.  They discovered, though, that the only way they could "live together" is if she lived on one floor of their townhouse and he lived on another and they shared the rest of the house.

S.J. Rozan focused on Spenser's love interest, Susan Silverman.  I've never been a fan of Susan's and it was good to know that I wasn't the only one who found her annoying (Rozan is a fan of Susan's, though).  Gary Phillips focused on the character of Hawk (I always enjoyed the exchange between Spenser and Hawk).

There is also an essay comparing the books to the series and made-for-TV movies (which I've never seen).  I must say that when I envisioned Spenser while reading the books, I pictured him more like Parker than Robert Urich.

You'll enjoy this book if you are a fan of Parker and/or Spenser.

Celebrating Mother's Day

Gord and I drove to his sister, Judy's, for a Mother's Day celebration. Judy and her husband, Doug, live about 2.5 hours NE of us.

Gord's mom and stepdad, Minnie and Keith, live in the same town as Judy and Doug and came over for supper, as did Judy and Doug's son, Kyle, his wife, Kerri, and their kids, Madison and Colton.

Doug and Judy made a delicious meal of roast beef, venison (I passed), humungous baked potatoes, biscuits, cheese, salad and pies (lemon meringue and blueberry).  Minnie brought deviled eggs.

I was feeling really stuffed up and drowsy (a cold coming on?) so had a nap for a couple hours after supper.  Gord woke me up when Minnie and Keith were leaving to say good-bye.  So alas, I didn't get any pictures of them.

Kyle with his kids, Colton and Madison (Madison loves playing games on the ipad)

Colton and his grandfather, Doug

Judy with her granddaughter, Madison

Book ~ "Coldwater" (2013) Diana Gould

From Goodreads ~ Brett Tanager is the writer/producer of a hit TV detective show until the mistakes and bad decisions of one dreadful drug-addled night send her life skidding out of control into a downward spiral that takes her job, family, savings and self-respect.

At her lowest ebb, she is approached by Julia, her sixteen-year-old former stepdaughter whose best friend Caleigh has disappeared. Seems Julia’s classmates, young daughters of Hollywood’s elite, were partying with high rollers for a thousand bucks a night and now Caleigh is missing, her parents are lying and Julia is terrified. But not as terrified as Brett when Caleigh’s naked corpse turns up and Julia goes missing.

Brett’s attempt to find Julia plunges her into a dark, disturbing journey through moneyed Hollywood and its seamy undersides. Now she must find resources other than drink to overcome her fears, as she is pitted against cunning of a ruthless killer, and a web of deceit in which the darkest secrets may be her own.

Coldwater is femme noir, a fast-paced Hollywood crime novel with a spiritual undertow, a story of destruction and redemption nestled within a first-rate murder mystery.

When the story begins, Brett seems to have it all.  She is a writer/producer of one of the hottest shows on TV,  is living with Jonathon and is "stepmother" to his daughter, Julia.  Unfortunately she is addicted to drugs and booze.  While out scoring some drugs one night, she hits and kills a woman with her car (she doesn't get caught) and this sets her on an even more destructive spiral.

Fast forward a couple years and Brett has hit bottom.  She and Jonathon have broken up (and he has since married Lynda), she had no job or home and is crashing on the couch of her drug dealer.  Her friend, Gerry, asks her to housesit while he is working in Toronto.

Julia comes for a visit (she's now 16).  She is worried because her friend, Caleigh, has disappeared.  Caleigh and her rich friends (including Julia) have gotten involved in enjo kosia (aka "eating sushi) which is the Japanese tradition of young girls going out with older rich men for money.  Caleigh turns up dead and Julia disappears.  Brett, along with her ex-cop-now-private-detective friend, Mike, start tracking the girls' movements in hopes of finding Julia alive.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it. 

It was an interesting story and I liked the writing style.  I found that it was well-paced and kept me wanting to read more.  I liked the characters.  Brett is far from perfect but is committed to staying sober and straight, at least until she finds Julia.  Mike has his own addictions and Brett doesn't know whether she can trust him or not.

As a head's up, the language is for mature readers.

The whodunnit at the end was a surprise and I was okay with it.

Though I liked the book, one thing that bugged me was when her Gerry called her from Toronto, the area code was 404 ... 404 is the area code for Atlanta, GA.  Toronto's area codes are 416, 647 and 437.  I'm surprised the author was sloppy on this.

I'd recommend this book.

TopBox - May 2013

My May Topbox arrived today.

For only $12 a month, you will receive a Topbox with 4 carefully selected, indulgent, beauty products. Then test the products in the comfort of your own home.

It has an Elizabeth Arden theme ...

Here's what was in it ...

Book ~ "One Step Too Far" (2013) Tina Sekis

From Goodreads ~ An apparently happy marriage. A beautiful son. A lovely home. 

So what makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life to start all over again? Has she had a breakdown? Was it to escape her dysfunctional family - especially her flawed twin sister Caroline who always seemed to hate her? And what is the date that looms, threatening to force her to confront her past? No-one has ever guessed her secret. Will you?

Emily is the older twin of Caroline.  Their parents, Andrew and Frances, hadn't been married long when Frances got pregnant.  Andrew had already checked out of the marriage emotionally and had started cheating on Frances, which she turned a blind eye to.  Growing up, Emily was always the favoured one and Caroline grew up jealous and resentful.  Emily meets and marries Ben and they have a son and seems to live happily ever after, despite having such a dysfunctional family.

This story starts the day Emily is running away from home, away from her husband, family and friends, to start a new life.

Emily runs to London and reinvents herself ... she becomes Cat Brown (her birth name is Catherine Emily Brown).  She rents a room in a dump and becomes fast friends with Angel, one of the other renters.  She gets a job as a receptionist (she was a lawyer in her old life) and gets promoted quickly.  Along the way, to try to kill her pain, she spirals into a world of booze and drugs.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it. Once I got used to the rhythm, I liked the writing style.  It bounced around from present day to the past (to give us background and history).  It is written from different points of view ... when the point of view is Emily's/Cat's, it is in first person in her voice; otherwise it is in third person.  Sekis is English and the writing at times shows this ... for example, a trolley there is what we call a shopping cart.  The language at times is for mature readers.

I thought the story was interesting.  You don't find out why Emily ran away until the end so that keeps you reading because you want to know!  Why she left was an interesting twist.  I kind of went "huh?" and had to go back and reread some stuff to see how the author sneaked the twist by me.

I liked Cat/Emily ... it was obvious that she was hurting and doing the best she could to move on.  It was obvious that she and Ben had been in love until something went horribly wrong.  There are some colourful characters, especially in the rooming house.  No one worries about cleanliness (one girls scrapes dog poo off her boots in the kitchen sink) ... it's a cheap place to live so it serves it's purpose.  Angel, though a bit twisted, was a good friend to Cat.  She too was doing the best she could given her background.  I hated Caroline ... she was very selfish and it was all about her.  Frances and Andrew were weak and not good role models as parents.

I was satisfied with the ending ... there were no loose ends.

I would recommend this book.

Book ~ "Beacon of Love" (2013) Allie Boniface

From Goodreads ~ Welcome to Lindsey Point, Connecticut: suspicious of outsiders, loyal to tradition, and absolutely devoted to its local legends.

Enter Sophie Smithwaite, travel show host, in town to film an episode about Lindsey Point’s haunted lighthouse. But digging into the story of a tragic murder-suicide and love gone wrong reveals startling connections to Sophie’s own past. When a gorgeous local handyman fills in behind the camera, Sophie’s life gets complicated by more than just her family history.

Part-time paramedic, handyman, seasonal Santa... Lucas Oakes does it all--except get attached. He’s still reeling from the death of his best friend ten years ago and the more recent infidelity of his ex-fiancee. Yet despite Sophie’s big-city nosiness and her insistence on chasing long-dead ghosts, he’s drawn to her.

But mixing with an outsider means questioning people and traditions Lucas has always defended. When a series of attacks seem to be connected to Sophie’s investigation, both Sophie and Lucas must decide if they are willing to risk everything to uncover the town’s secrets...and their own.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains one barb-slinging travel show host, one hunky handyman who knows exactly how to use his tools and a small town brimming with secrets ...

Sophie is the host of a travel show that goes around to communities showcasing something of interest. She and her crew go to Lindsey Point to focus on the lighthouse. Fifty years ago, there was a murder/suicide ... Petey, the lighthouse keeper, had discovered that his wife, Miranda, was having an affair and killed her and then committed suicide. They say that her ghost is haunting the lighthouse. Sophie is from New York and isn’t used to small-town ways ... everyone knows everyone and their business.

Lucas was born and raised in Lindsey Point. Besides being a handyman, he is also an EMS and former cameraman. When a fella in Sophie’s crew gets sick, Lucas fills in. The attraction between Sophie and Lucas happens instantly and they start hanging out together. But there are a few things at could keep them apart ... the appearance of Shannon (Lucas’ ex-fiancee who wants him back), the tragedy ten years ago when members of the community were killed in a plane crash including Lucas’ best friend, Sarah (Shannon’s sister), and the rumor that Sophie is the granddaughter of Petey and Miranda.

This is the second book I’ve read by the author and I liked it. Not just a romance (Lucas and Sophie do get together in about four days), it also had the mystery of a hidden treasure and was Sophie actually Petey and Miranda’s granddaughter?

“Wise ass.” Sophie backed into the street before he could grab her. “I’ll see you later!” she called. “I think Lon said something about meeting tomorrow morning and--hey!” She squawked off the last word as Lucas lifted her off the ground and onto his shoulder.

As if she was a bag of flour.

Or a damsel in distress.

Or his damn cavewoman.

About a hundred thoughts raced through her mind, and it took all she had to keep them from coming out in biting words.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he asked as he carried her back to his truck, parked in front of the bar. He wasn’t panting, not out of breath in the least, as if she weighed close to nothing. “If anything happened to you, Lon would kill me.” With one hand he opened the passenger side door. Only then did he lower her to a seat inside the truck. His hands slid down her arms and settled her hips into place.

Oh yum. All her scathing thoughts of thirty seconds earlier vanished. She shifted on the leather. There was room for him on this side of the cab, she was almost positive. If not, she’d make room. In about two seconds.

I liked the writing style ... it was easy to read. I liked Sophie and Lucas ... they had a good contrast. She was born and raised in the city and is a celebrity and he is a small-town guy who went away to university but came back home afterwards. Sophie has no one in the world (her mother has dementia and lives in a home) and Lucas has never lost a family member. I liked that they lived in the here and now and didn’t worry about making it work for the future.

I found that I still had a question at the end, though ... did Petey really kill Miranda and then commit suicide? They both ended up dead but I found the explanation of this was glossed over ... yes, there was a struggle but I didn’t think it was of the magnitude that warranted their deaths. Or did someone else kill them?

As a head’s up, the language and some activity is for mature readers.

Book ~ "Eating My Feelings: Tales of Overeating, Underperforming, and Coping with My Crazy Family" (2013) Mark Brennan Rosenberg

From Goodreads ~ Mark Rosenberg has had more ups and downs with his weight than Oprah, but unlike Oprah, no one gives a sh*t. Coming of age very outrageously as an overweight, soon-to-be gay kid, he learns to relate to others by way of his beloved "Melrose Place" and "Clueless", which serves him well when exiled to fat camp and faced with an opportunity to bribe an adulterous counselor or poison his stepmother by birthday cake - and thinks nothing of dressing as Homey the Clown (in blackface) for Halloween.

This sets him up for adulthood in the image-obsessed world of gay men in New York City, where he hires personal trainers he wants to sleep with, applies an X-rated twist to "Julie & Julia" in an attempt to reach blogger stardom, and has an imaginary relationship with the man on the P90X workout infomercials that becomes a little bit too real. Hilarious, heartwarming (as if) and especially scandalous, Eating My Feelings leaves no stone unturned and no piece of red velvet cake uneaten.

I'd never heard of Mark Brennan Rosenberg so didn't know what to expect ... I've since discovered that this is his second book and he blogs at the Huffington Post.

The title of this book had caught my eye ... and I'm glad it did because I really enjoyed it!

Mark is the son of a Jewish dad and a Christian mom (his dad has been married four times and Mark's mom was his second wife).  Mark was an overweight gay kid who liked nothing better than to sit on the couch, pig out and watch soap operas.

Each chapter is a story from his life such as:

• Choose Your Religion - As an enticement to embrace his Jewish roots, his dad and evil stepmother try to bribe Mark with a party (bar mitzvah) and vacation.  It works with his brother, Kevin, but not Mark once he realizes how much work it will be (he has to learn Hebrew).
• Heavyweights - His dad and evil stepmother send Mark to a "basketball" camp (it was really a fat camp) one summer so he'd lose weight rather than the theatre camp he wanted to go to.
• The Fifty Dollar Diet - His dad and evil stepmother bribe Mark to lose weight by promising him $50 for every ten pounds he loses.
• All Shook Up and the Flyer Boy Follies - His experiences handing out flyers for half-price theatre tickets.
• Tuesdays with Ricky - Mark hires a personal trainer, Ricky.
• The P90X-Files - Mark's experience with this intense workout program.

I thought this book was really hilarious.  I liked the writing style ... Mark is very sarcastic and funny.  I bet he would be a hoot to hang out with.  The language and activity are quite explicit and for mature readers ... words that rhyme with "hunt", "duck", "mothertrucker", etc. are used quite often.

I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Book ~ "Deadly Memories" (2013) S.D. O'Donnell

From Goodreads ~ Who is the beautiful Jayne Doe? And why does someone want to kill her? 

Ex-detective Saul Becker learned the hard way not to get involved in the troubles of beautiful women. But what else can he do when a barefoot, catatonic Jayne Doe turns up practically in his backyard? Who is she and what is she so afraid of? 

Jayne Doe doesn't remember anything about her life before she crawled into a hollow tree at the lake next to Saul's home. All she knows is that she's afraid of something - or someone. Together, Saul and Jayne set out to uncover her past. But they are in more danger than they know and it will take all of Saul's skill and training to track down the past that's stalking them.

When Saul inherited some property, he quit the police force to focus on being a landlord.  A catatonic woman is found in a tree next to Saul's property.  No one knows anything about her so she is called "Jane Doe".  She only speaks once ... to tell Saul at the police station that she's not a "plain Jane" so he jokingly adds a "Y" to her name, hence she becomes Jayne Doe.

Saul visits her every day, hoping to get a response ... and he eventually does.  She's comes out of her catatonic state but had amnesia.  Saul's elderly neighbour takes Jayne to live with her and Jayne and Saul become close.

As Jayne starts to remember things, Saul's past starts catching up with him which puts him, Jayne and his tenants in danger.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style ... I found that it flowed well and kept me wanting to read more.  I found the story interesting and believable.

I liked the characters.  I could feel the connection between Saul and Jayne.  He had an alcoholic mother and finds it hard to trust anyone.  Jayne, despite having amnesia, goes with her attraction to Saul.  Mrs. Blackstone, Saul's elderly neighbour, is a great support to them both.  Unlike a lot of books, the cops, who are Saul's former co-workers, are likeable, helpful and include Saul in their investigations.

As a head's up, the language is mature at times.

I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

Book ~ "Jo Joe" (2013) Sally Wiener Grotta

From Goodreads ~ Jo Joe is a mystery of the heart about Judith Ormond, a young mixed race Jewish woman. 

Seventeen years earlier, violence and hatred had driven her away from the small Pocono Mountains village where she was raised by her white Christian grandparents. Now with the death of her beloved grandmother, she must reluctantly break her vow to never return to the town she learned to hate. 

During the one week visit, she’s forced to deal with the white boy who cruelly broke her heart and is menaced by an old enemy who threatens new brutalities. But with her traumatic discovery of a long-buried secret, Judith finds more questions than answers about the bigotry that scarred her childhood.

Judith's dad is a black Jew from Paris and her mom was a white Christian from Pennsylvania.  When her parents split up, Judith and her mom move to the Manhattan (from Paris).  When her mom dies, Judith is a young teenager and moves to Black Bear, PA, to live with her grandparents on their farm.  Judith is different from the other residents because she is black and Jewish and gets picked on by the other kids.  One of her schoolmates, Joe, protects her and they become best friends (he nicknames her "Jo").  One day, though, Joe turns on her and she has no idea why.  Her grandmother sends her back to Paris when school is over, making her promise she'll never return to Black Bear.

Seventeen years later, Judith is running an organization that helps women in Africa  Her grandmother has died and she turns home for a week to settle the estate (her grandfather has since died).  While she discovers  some of the old prejudices still exist, the town has progressed that's in part to her grandmother.  She's shocked to discover that her grandmother has left Joe and his family a large part of the estate so fights it.  She spends the week packing up the house, deciding what to send back to Paris and what to get rid of so she can sell the farm as quickly as possible.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.

The story was interesting.  Judith had a lot of adversaries because of who/what she was but she had a solid support system with her grandparents and Joe (until he abandoned her).   As an adult, despite her success, she still carried the old hurts within her ... she wanted to dispose of the estate and leave town, never to return.   At times, it was focused on Jewish traditions which I found interesting since I don't know much about that faith ... it gave Judith comfort.

I liked the writing style.  The chapters represent every day Judith was in Black Bear.  It is written in first person in Judith's voice.  I found that the writing was well-paced and flowed well.  It kept me wanting to read more.  It dips back and forth from the present to the past.  As a head's up, some of the language and activity are for mature readers.

I liked the characters.  Though Judith has some good memories, the majority of memories aren't.  She wants to show everyone that she isn't the teenager everyone picked on so puts up a strong front.  She thought it would be easy to pack up the estate and then get back to her life.  She hadn't counted on getting pulled into the past.  Joe is now married with kids and wants to be Judith's friend ... but she'll have none of it because she thinks he took advantage of her grandmother in her later years.  Judith makes new friends with residents who weren't there when she was growing up like Rabbi David and his wife, Rebecca.

Click here to read the first chapter (go check it out!).

I'd recommend this book and would like to read more by this author.

Happy 40th birthday, Jen!

My pal, Jen, turned 40 today.

She had her birthday party at the Irish Shebeen in Mississauga.

There were lots of family and friends.

Pat, Vitra, Greg, Rob, Brian, Amanda, Monica and Jenn

Angie, Darlene, Gord and Mark

Angie and Darlene

Jane's Walk - An Insider's View of Ossington, Toronto, ON

Gord and I did a Jane's Walk at 4:30pm today.

Jane’s Walk celebrates the ideas and legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs by getting people out exploring their neighbourhoods and meeting their neighbours. Free walking tours held on the first weekend of May each year are led by locals who want to create a space for residents to talk about what matters to them in the places they live and work. Since its inception in Toronto in 2007, Jane’s Walk has expanded rapidly. In May of 2011, 511 walks were held in 75 cities in 15 countries worldwide. 

We did the An Insider's View of Ossington walk which was in our 'hood ... it was just over an hour.  We walked from Queen Street W north to Dundas Street W.

Think you're not 'hip' enough for this strip? Think again! Local bloggers from Ossington Village Blog will take you on a tour of the 'hood - showing you the hot spots you've read about and maybe some you haven't even heard of ... yet. We'll show off all the things that make our neighborhood a hot destination for dining, music, theatre, art, shopping and even more. Ossington Village, where entertainment starts!

Ossington Avenue is named after the ancestral Nottingham home of the Denison family, early landowners in the Ossington area. John Denison's 'Brookfield House' used to stand at the northwest corner of Ossington and Queen Street.

The first section of Ossington from Queen Street to Dundas Street was surveyed not long after the establishment of York in 1793. It was part of the original Dundas road, leading to London, Ontario. It was not until the War of 1812 that the road was built, after the Battle of York. During the 19th century, this section was developed as a commercial street. The Ontario Provincial Lunatic Asylum was opened at the foot of Dundas and Queen Street in 1850.

As Toronto expanded west and other retail facilities opened, the commercial section of Ossington south of Dundas became an area of industrial uses, including automotive repairs and storage facilities. By 2007, the low rents of stores along Ossington became attractive after rents along the Queen Street West increased. This led to an influx of bars, restaurants and stores.

We met at Ossington Avenue/Queen Street W, on the grounds of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

Jane's Walk - The Architectural Legacy of The Village of Parkdale 1879 – 1889, Toronto, ON

Gord and I did a Jane's Walk at 1:30pm today.

Jane’s Walk celebrates the ideas and legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs by getting people out exploring their neighbourhoods and meeting their neighbours. Free walking tours held on the first weekend of May each year are led by locals who want to create a space for residents to talk about what matters to them in the places they live and work. Since its inception in Toronto in 2007, Jane’s Walk has expanded rapidly. In May of 2011, 511 walks were held in 75 cities in 15 countries worldwide. 

We did the Architectural Legacy of The Village of Parkdale 1879 – 1889 walk ... it was 1.5 hours.

Jack Gibney, of The Parkdale Village Historical Society and Meghan Edmonds, of the Roncesvalles Village Historical Society invite you on a trip down old Queen Street, to a time when life was slower, and less frantic. We will see examples of beautiful historic architecture, some in need of care and hear a tale of murder in 1894 on Jameson Ave. Learn the unusual origins of street names such as Tyndal, Spencer, as well as landowners O’Hara and Brock . Discover why Parkdale is one of the most historic and architecturally beautiful neighbourhoods of Toronto.

Parkdale is a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto, west of our 'hood.  Parkdale was founded as an independent settlement in the 1850s. It became an incorporated village in 1879 and later joined Toronto in 1889. It was an upper income residential area for the first half of the 20th century, with several notable mansions. The area changed dramatically with the building of the Gardiner Expressway in 1955, demolishing the southern section of the neighbourhood together with the Sunnyside Amusement Park, and the creation of a barrier between the neighbourhood and the lakeshore. This led to both an outflux of prosperous residents west and a decline in the local economy. Most of the residential buildings remain though many were converted into rooming houses but the demographic composition has changed considerably, including a higher proportion of lower incomes and newcomer families. Today, it is largely a working-class neighbourhood, with a mix of low and high income residents as well as new immigrants, and many artists and young professionals.

We started off at the corner of Queen Street W, King Street W and Roncesvalles.  There's the Eggsmart where Gord and I like to go for breakfast ... it used to be the Oceanview Hotel.

Book ~ "Pawnbroker" (2013) Jerry Hatchett

From Goodreads ~ Gray Bolton has a secret worth killing for. He just doesn't know what it is. His life as a pawnbroker in a Mississippi town is good. He has a beautiful family and the future looks bright. Then an armed robber walks in and changes everything. Bolton kills the man, then discovers that he was anything but a common criminal. 

Trouble cascades upon Bolton from the police, from home and from unknown parties who may be the most vicious of all. They all appear to be after the same thing and they will all do anything to get it. Unfortunately, Bolton has no idea what that thing is. His battle to find out will test him in ways he couldn't have imagined, and the stakes are simple: Everything.

Gray is a pawnbroker.  He is married to his high school sweetheart, Abby, and they have two young daughters.  They live in a town where everybody knows everyone else.  He is bored by the daily routine of people bringing their junk in with sad stories and expecting a lot of money in return.

One day that all changes.  An armed robber comes into the shop and Gray has to kill him in self-defense.  It turns out that the robber is actually a cop and Gray gets arrested for murder.  Knowing his small-town lawyer can't handle this cause, he hires a big shot lawyer from Memphis named Lucas. As things quickly start spinning out of control, it's up to Gray and Penny (Lucas' investigator) to figure out what's going and what everyone is looking for.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it.

I liked the writing style.  It was fast-paced and the chapters were short and snappy which moved the action along quickly.  The story is told in first person in Gray's voice, though things happen in the third person when he's not in the scene.  As a head's up, the language and activity are for mature readers.

The story was an interesting one.  There's a lot going on from different angles and you'll wonder what's the point of this or that (like the young Mexican maid).  I'm not going to spoil it by revealing what everyone was looking for but once it's found, it all makes sense and ties everything in.  I figured out who the big boss was way before the end and it was fun to go along for the ride until Gray figures it out.

I liked the characters, Gray and Penny.  They worked well together and had a tight friendship despite having just met.  Gray also has a solid support system in best friend, Teddy, and the elderly couple, Doc and Angie.  Jerry "the Geek" was a fun geeky character.  Sheriff Ballard is sadistic bully and I was hoping he would get what he had coming.

I'd recommend this book.