Home from Holidays part 1

I’m home from my trip to Canada. My book tally was low: one book finished one purchased and one started.

On the way to Canada, I read Dangerous by Shannon Hale.

Well written and faced paced,  Dangerous has a smart female heroine. I took this one on the plane to Canada and finished it before we landed in Toronto. I sort of tough my sister, who loves Shannon Hale’s previous books, might want to read it.  Once I was into the book, I knew my sister wouldn’t like it. The book has Hale’s good writing, but it is the setting that would turn her off. If this book didn’t have Hale’s name on the from, I probably wouldn’t have read it either.

While in Ottawa, the world marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War 1. We toured the Canadian War Museum, which is amazing. I cried more than once. I’ll write more on this later. The only book I bought was  The War that Ended Peace  by Margaret MacMillan.

I read her previous book, Paris 1919, which death with the Paris Peace conference that followed World War 1, which was eminently readable. I am really looking forward to this one.

On the plane ride home, I started  The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. This was a Christmas gift from my sister and I am finally getting to it. I am about a quarter in and it is not what I expected from the cover, but I am hooked.

I got home late last night, so I haven;t picked up the girls yet. I am very excited to see them. I hope they forgive me.

What I Gave and What I Received

Christmas is about the books, the ones we give and the ones receive. So, I thought I’d share my giftapalooza this year.

To my twin sister for her birthday on December 23rd:

Glaciers by Alexis M Smith

To my twin sister for Christmas:

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. I’m a little nervous about this one. I think she’ll like it once she starts reading it.

To Tom, my brother-in-law:

Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars by Lee Billings.

For my 15 year old niece, Alexis:

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. I loved this and I think she will, too.

And here’s what I got:

For my birthday:

The Luminaries  by Eleanor Catton. winner of the UK’s  2013 Man B0oker Prize & Canada’s 2013 Governor  General’s Award – 832 pages I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into!

For Christmas:

 The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor by Sally Armstrong – My sister loved this book and knew I would so she gave it to me. It’s about a woman living very remotely in early Canada.