Livres et Biscuits

Escape to The Library

2017-07-07T11:43:00.001-04:00

The other day, I spent three hours in the library because I had some loose time before I attended a friend's goodbye party. Those hours were one of the few moments of real comfort and serenity I felt in a long time. I was reminded of the joy of scanning shelves brimming with books, all titles whispering for me to pick them up. The books had that ageless smell promising adventure and knowledge.

Revue - "Oh..." par Philippe Djian

2017-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Gallimard | 237 pages | 2012

Le titre du livre ne laisse penser à rien de quoi que se soit de se passe dans l'histoire. Oh...est l'histoire de Michelle qui se fait violer en plain jour chez elle et comment elle réagit à ce violent événement dans sa vie. Sa réaction n'est pas ce que je m'attendais et elle guette la chance de se venger elle-même de son agresseur.

My Thoughts On - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

2017-05-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

Crown | 342 pages | 2016

This is a fast pace Sci-Fi thriller that gripped me from page one.

Jason is a physics professor and his wife Danielle is a stay-at-home mom. They both could have been much more but they decided to have a life and a son together.

What happens when Jason is kidnapped and then given a shot at being the researcher he dreamt to be? Will he take it? Or will he fight to get back to his family? With unusual twists and mind bending science, this novel keeps you at the edge of your seat.

This Sci-Fi is very well written with a smooth plot, believable characters and an accurate use of science and scientific theories.

While I was reading it, it reminded me of The Martian simply because Jason has a scientific approach to his problems and solves each obstacles before going to the next. Unlike The Martian, it isn't a comedy, although there is some comical relief moments in the plot.

I would love to see this novel as a movie since it has a fast pace and the potential for amazing visuals.

My Thoughts On, Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

2017-05-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

Delacorte Books | 310 pages | 2015

This book is my first contact with Nicola Yoon. I read it because it had an interesting premise. A girl on house arrest for medical reasons. Her new neighbors are kind but a boy specifically catches her eyes. How can a romance bloom between the two when she is in danger from everything? I love how this medical aspect is an essential part of the story without making the plot heavy or gloomy. This novel still have the lightness of a usual YA story of a girl meet boy and they have obstacles to overcome to be together. Yet it is original in its writing and in the interwoven details that make the characters three dimensional.

It was a fast read and I enjoyed every page of it.

My Thoughts On - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

2017-04-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

HarperCollins | 256 pages | 1939

Ten little soldiers boys went out to dine,

One choked his little self and then they were nine.

This novel holds its mystery until the very end. Ten people are invited to an island where they start to die mysteriously one by one. Who is the killer? How does he/she murder without being caught?

These questions puts the guests on edge and each become suspicious of the other. The mystery is well wrapped. It is hard to guess the killer when every guest is weird in a way or another and they might as well be the killer which did not make me feel sympathetic to any of them. Overall, it was an entertaining read that made me want to discover the who and how.

My Thoughts On - Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann

2017-04-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Drawn and Quarterly | 94 pages | 2014

This is a messed up twisted mind boggling comic. It follows the story of groups of little people whose life has changed when the girl they were living in dies in the woods. The dynamic between them shifts, alliances are forged and loyalties tested and disturbingly broken very easily. This comic brings to light the worst behaviors of humans as individuals and as a society. It makes me shudder that this is a possible outcome of our society if everyone became selfish and discarded any moral boundaries.

This type of social behavior remind me of the movie The Lobster. It is just as twisted and shudder causing as this comic by its disregard to morals and human decency.

I did not enjoy this read nor the place it took me to.

Review - Wild by Cheryl Strayed

2017-03-20T22:00:00.000-04:00

Vintage | 315 pages | 2012

I had a hard time getting into this book and I think reading the reviews, specially the bad ones, was a mistake, because it made me dread the read instead of getting excited about it.

The only way I was able to continue reading was when I thought of the story as a novel (fiction) and not as a real life event. The fact that the book was turned into a movie helped my imagination because I was able to see Cheryl as Reese Witherspoon in my head as I read along.

Still, it was hard at the beginning to get into the book because she talked about the family drama that led her to take on the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail) but I was only interested by her experience on the PCT and all the struggles and wonders of hiking alone. So until she got to the PCT, I was not enjoying the book but once she was there, it was fun following her adventure.

Review - The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnes

2017-02-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Katherine Tegen Books | 352 pages | 2016

I picked this book because I was intrigued by the title and the phosphorus green cover.The story is about Alex who killed her sister's murderer and how she tries to navigate life in high school at a small town.

My Thoughts On - All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

2017-02-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Knopf | 378 pages | 2015

I love this book so much I hate it. I love how it made me laugh at the beginning, how it made me grin like an idiot in the bus. I love how genuine the relationship between Theodore and Violet was , how wonderful for these two souls to find each other, to comfort each other. But I hate it too. I hate it for the endless tears I shed, for making me love Theodore and then putting me face to face with the unchanging reality. I hate it for giving me no place to hope for a different ending. I felt loss, anger and despair. I knew no matter how much I read and went further into the story, Theodore's faith was unchanging and there is nothing I could do to shake off the sense of helplessness that came over me. I hated this book so much I love it.

All the bright places is real, raw, epic and a must read.

Shadowhunters- The Mortal Intruments TV series

2017-01-08T13:52:00.001-05:00

The second season of Shadowhunters just started this weekend and I am super excited!

I'll be honest. I thought the first season was not mega superb. The actors were not very experienced, with some scenes being completely cheesy and laugh worthy.

Plus, the plot flow was a bit lagging at moments and the dialogue scripts were not great.

Despite all of that I was hooked.

2017: une année de lecture prometteuse.

2017-01-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

Je sens que la nouvelle année va être rempli de changement, de joie et de beaucoup de lecture. Je me suis décidé, pour cette année de prendre quelque résolutions à caractère littéraire ,mais avant de passer à tous cela, il faut bien dire bye bye à 2016.
l'année étais bien généreuse pour moi. Les livres à lire ne me manquaient pas, ce qui m'a permit de surpasser mon défi de lire 35 livres en lisant 51 livres en total.
Voici mon année 2016 en chiffre:

51 livres lus ce qui équivaut à 14146 pages

14 romans romantiques

13 livres non terminés

9 bande dessinées

8 coups de cours

Avec tout cela, je peux poser mon regard sur la nouvelle année avec joie et anticipation. Et la nouvelle année ne peut commencer qu'avec des résolutions.
Les miens sont les voici:

Lire 55 livres en 2017

dont 25 en français (incluant les 5 en lice pour le prix littéraires des collégiens)
aussi 25 livres documentaires ou comme on dit en anglais (non-fiction)

et finalement faire maturer mon blog.

Mon blog existe depuis 2010. Après six ans, il est temps qu'il grandit comme moi et prend une forme qui me reflète plus et j'ai plaine d'idées pour réaliser cela!

J'ai bien hâte de voir ce que 2017 me réserve du bon. Je souhaite qu'elle va être une belle année pour tous.

The Girl On The Train Hits The Big Screen

2016-10-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

The major success of the thriller novel The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins gave it an express ticket to the big screen.
The movie starring Emily Blunt opens in theaters tomorrow October 7 is expected to mimic or exceed the book's success.
I for one will definitely go see how well Hollywood interpreted the novel and having Emily on screen is always an indicator of a great movie.

To understand what all the hip is all about, you can read my book review here:

The Girl on the Train Review

Enjoy the trailer and make sure you go to see the movie on October 7th.

Book Promotion - Pigeon - Blood Red by Ed Duncan

2016-09-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying your labor day weekend. Here is a great book that I want you to check out! Synopsis, author bio and an excerpt are down below! Enjoy!

Pigeon-Blood Red is a fast-paced and suspenseful crime thriller by Ed Duncan. It was released in March 2016, published by Zharmae and is available for sale on Amazon.

Duncan says, “It’s always been said that you should write what you know. I am a lawyer - as is a pivotal character in the novel who is being pursued by a hit man - and I'm excited to be able to use my legal training creatively as well as professionally.”

Review - The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach

2016-08-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

St. Martin's Press | 336 pages | 2016

This is a unique story about a boy's life in a hospital. His physical handicap does not take away from his sharp mind and unique sense of humor. Ivan Isaenko, while stuck in the hospital, builds himself a routine and mind games to get him going through the days. Day in and day out everything turns like clock work, but when a new beautiful incomer, Polina, disturbs his routine, his fascination with her increases. He then embarks on a journey, always inside the same hospital, to try to defy fate with all that his frail body allows him to.
lire la suite »»

Book Promotion - The Movie Star and Me by Kelly Durham

2016-08-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Good Monday everyone!

I want to start this week by introducing you to this historical fiction novel by Kelly Durham. Summary and author info are down below!

Synopsis:Author Kelly Durham has captured Old Hollywood in his entertaining new novel, The Movie Star and Me (August 9, 2016) and exposes readers to the history of the movie business in this historical fiction tour de force. Movie magic, labor strikes, HUAC committee hearings and the business of show business are revealed as a colorful cast of characters fight for their self-interests--with surprising results. The Movie Star and Me follows Frank Russell, a young veteran just returned from the Pacific war. On the ship home from Okinawa, Frank discovers several cans of newsreel film in his duffel bag. Once he lands in the States, Frank returns the film to its owner, Pacific Pictures in Hollywood. Over the course of a couple of visits to the studio, Frank impresses its owner Abe Baum, who offers Frank a job. Frank continues to impress and is quickly promoted, earning the attention of Vera Vance, an up and coming starlet. Under Frank’s tutelage, the ambitious Vera becomes the studio’s top box office attraction. But there are secrets at Pacific Pictures that threaten futures, and Frank gets caught up in a high-stakes battle where people aren’t always what they seem to be.
Buy the Book

Biography:Kelly Durham lives in Clemson, SC with his wife Yvonne. They are the parents of Mary Kate, Addison and Callie and also provide for their dog, George Marshall. A graduate of Clemson University, Kelly served four years in the US Army with assignments in Arizona and Germany before returning to Clemson and entering private business. Kelly is the also the author of THE WAR WIDOW, BERLIN CALLING , WADE’S WAR and THE RELUCTANT COPILOT. Check out all Kelly’s books at kellydurham.com.Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KellyDurhamAuthorTweet him on Twitter @KellyDurhamAuthor

Movie Thoughts: The Martian

2016-07-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

For those who only saw The Martian movie, it must have been great. It is very cool, original and very well done, but you have missed out on a lot of things in the novel that the movie couldn’t include.

First of all the novel is funnier, have more action and obstacles for Mark to overcome.

Mitch’s character should have been more hot headed. Sean Bean was more relaxed and soft spoken than what the novel depicts.

Of course, Hollywood could not just keep things as they are and had to change things. They changed how the ending happened. It is still the same ending, just the process of getting there changed. They changed Venkat name to Vincent and instead of him being Indian he became black. Hollywood just can't follow simple characters features (it's not like the characters were exhaustively described like in other books.)

Still I liked to see Matt Damon as Mark Watney. The movie was visually appealing and was well directed to flow smoothly. It was a good watch. Still, the book is hundred times better.
You can read my book review here.
Have you read it? Which did you like better?

Review - The Martian by Andy Weir

2016-07-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Crown Publishers | 289 pages | 2014

I picked up this ebook because I heard so many good things about the movie (Matt Damon is staring in it, so it must be good) and the book won the Goodreads best Si-Fi novel in 2014. You can't go wrong with that.

Bird Themed Books To Read

2016-07-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

Call me obsessed, but I like birds a lot. Unfortunately, living in a big city like Montreal limits the type and number of birds I can see. This does not mean I won't go looking for them wherever I can, even in books.

Here is a list of bird themed books I would like to read:
lire la suite »»

Book Promotion - Prison of Souls by Xander Gray

2016-07-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello!
Have a look at this science fiction thriller by Xander Gray and Adam J Nicolai (editor). The purchase link is at the bottom.

Joshua Briar, a quantum physicist specializing in an exotic matter, finds himself in prison for a murder he did not commit. Only a frame job could account for the surveillance footage and the ballistics. But who would want to frame him? And why? Tantalizing clues arrive in cryptic letters from an anonymous benefactor. The letters describe top-secret research into nanobots, quantum computing, and other futuristic technologies. One of these letters contains a photo of a sinister, faceless man, an entity that has haunted Joshua's epileptic trances since childhood. Seeing it unearths a mountain of repressed memories, and suddenly Joshua realizes the prosecution's key witness conducted frightening medical experiments on him long ago.When his fellow prisoners begin vanishing one by one, Joshua realizes a vast conspiracy has followed him into prison. Can he unravel the mystery before it's too late?

You can find this Sci-Fi Thriller at Amazon

Book Promotion - Madam Tulip by David Ahern

2016-06-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello!
I would like to introduce you today to this new book by David Ahern.
Please take a moment to read the summary.
Free book sample link is at the bottom.

Suspense, mystery, action, a little romance and lots of laughs

Out-of-work actress Derry O’Donnell is young, talented, a teeny bit psychic … and broke. Spurred on by an ultimatum from her awesomely high-achieving mother, and with a little help from her theatrical friends, Derry embarks on a part-time career as Madame Tulip, fortune-teller to the rich and famous. But at her first fortune-telling gig - a celebrity charity weekend in a castle - a famous rap artist will die.

As Derry is drawn deeper into a seedy world of celebrities, supermodels and millionaires, she finds herself playing the most dangerous role of her acting life. Trapped in a maze of intrigue, money and drugs, Derry's attempts at amateur detective could soon destroy her friends, her ex-lover, her father and herself.

Madame Tulip is the first in a series of Tulip adventures in which Derry O’Donnell, celebrity fortune-teller and reluctant detective, plays the most exciting and perilous roles of her acting life, drinks borage tea, and fails to understand her parents.

Fans of humorous mystery writers Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen will love Madam Tulip.

About author

David Ahern grew up in a theatrical family in Ireland but ran away to Scotland to become a research psychologist and sensible person. He earned his doctorate and taught in major Universities but could never explain to his granny why he didn’t own a stethoscope.

Finding the challenge of pretending to know things exhausting, David Ahern shaved off his beard and absconded once more, this time to work in television. He became a writer, director and producer, creating international documentary series. He won numerous awards, but found nobody was much impressed.

For want of a better plan, David Ahern took to writing fiction. Madame Tulip isn't his first novel, but writing it was the most fun he's ever had with a computer. He is now writing the third in the series and enjoys pretending that this activity is actual work.

David Ahern lives in the beautiful West of Ireland with his wife, two cats and a vegetable garden of which he is inordinately proud.

To find out more about Madam Tulip and David Ahern, visit:

website: www.davidahern.info

Twitter: @DaveAhernWriter

Facebook: davidahernwriter

Book sample

Enjoy!

My Thoughts On - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

2016-06-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Penguin | 376 pages | 2012

Yet another book I read because the movie is coming out soon.

This novel follows the character of Lou Clark as she becomes the carer of Will, a quadriplegic. Will became paralyzed after an unfortunate motorcycle accident.

Despite the heavy subjects of the novel, paralysis, spinal cord injury associated pain and the right to end ones suffering; it is a quick read that brings joy and a tremendous amount of tears to the reader. All the characters have depth and are well developed without getting into lengthy details. I imagined the characters as the actors in the film which helped me see the story more vividly. This was possible since there wasn’t any specific character description, physically speaking, which allows for a greater space for imagination. The plot moves with ease, gripping every inch of your attention. I spent hours a day reading the book staying awake late at night just to finish a chapter, wanting to know what will happen next.

A great read that makes you ask yourself some big questions.

Now it is impossible for me to imaging the amount of pain quadriplegics go through and how the sudden change alters their lives tremendously and I have no right to tell anyone how to live their lives but I want to say this.

Even though research is slow, there is hope. I recently came past a research group that developed an implant that stimulates the spine in order to regain limb function. They did the animal studies and the human ones are on their way. Link to the video. There is also stem cell research in order to regenerate the damaged spine in the first phase of clinical trials. A recent article in Nature News, talked about the first paralyzed person to be able to move their hands.

I just want to show that many people are working hard to find a treatment.

Review - Before The Fall by Noah Hawley

2016-06-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

Grand Central Publishing | 400 pages | 2016

A plane crashes in the ocean and only a man and a boy survives. What happened? This is the nagging questions that all the involved parties try to answer.

Book Promotion - FOREST PARK: Logan Book 2 by Valerie Davisson

2016-06-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone!

Take a look at this new book from Valerie Davisson! A link to sample is added below. Try it and if you like it, buy it! Enjoy!

Summary

Critical choices made in the drama and chaos of the last days of the Vietnam War reach across the Pacific to modern-day Portland, Oregon, threatening to destroy the lives of those who managed to cheat death in 1975. When a violent explosion takes a woman’s life just steps away from Logan McKenna’s downtown hotel, the police suspect all the wrong people, including a homeless vet and two of Logan’s new friends; but are any of them completely innocent?

While unraveling the tangle of half-truths and secrets to help her friends, Logan’s personal life suffers an explosion of its own. Each character must decide not only whom to trust, but at what cost.

In addition to writing a great story, in FOREST PARK: Logan Book 2, Davisson skillfully deals with tough questions about our attitude toward refugees, immigration, the homeless, and our military vets. Through the eyes of her original and complex characters, she invites us to explore the true nature of hope, redemption, family, character, and love.

Book Information

Title: Forest Park: Logan Book 2

ISBN: 978-1-939534-31-6

Page count: 266, print

Genre: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths

Formats: Print (paperback), eBook, audiobook

Price: eBook - $0.99

Print – $14.99

Audiobook - $19.95

The book may be purchased at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, or Hauser Publishing

Author Bio

Born in the county hospital in French Camp, California, Valerie 's childhood started out normally. Her father was becoming a CPA, her mother, a stay-at-home Mom. But within a few short years, the family, her mother 7-months pregnant, boarded a plane to Munich, Germany. They embarked on what was to become a life of travel, eventually living in Germany, Japan, Italy, and both coasts of America. It was the perfect childhood for an imaginative, curious, little girl.

Anticipating every new house, apartment and back yard, she always expected to find secret compartments or hidden passageways. The creek behind her home in Virginia led to many excursions rife with water moccasins and painted turtles, including one particularly dangerous encounter raiding the neighborhood boys' tree house. The clearly marked "NO GIRLS ALLOWED!" seemed like an open invitation to her 12-year-old self.

Always preferring to work outside with her dad, rather than do housework indoors with her mother and sister on a sunny, Saturday afternoon, when it came time to get a job in high school, she opted for anything other than one stuck behind a desk. So, in spite of the fact that she'd never taken swimming lessons, she flailed her way through the lifeguard qualification tests and became one of the first female lifeguards ever hired in town.

The next year, when she went away to college, and needed a little more money than waitressing provided, she applied for the job of manager at a pizza place nearby. When the owner told her he was thinking of paying "a man with a family" $700 a month, she said, "That will be fine, I'll take it." She was, again, the first female ever hired for that job. Years later, a dance studio wanted her to sign a contract stating if she got pregnant in the first year of employment she'd have to pay a $2,000 fine. A newlywed, she promptly quit and proceeded to get pregnant with her first son.

A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.

Writing and Teaching became twin passions, and she feels lucky to pursue both. With the support and distraction of her husband, John, their 6 children, a growing tribe of grandchildren, and a very supportive Girls' Night group, she is hard at work on Book 3, Logan's next adventure.

If you like Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon, J. A. Jance’s Sherriff Joanna Brady, Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway, or Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone, you’ll love Davisson’s independent, strong, female protagonist, Logan McKenna!

For more information, please check out Valerie Davisson’s website

Book Sample

Review - A Tale for The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

2016-05-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

Viking | 422 pages | 2013

This magic realism novel had caught my interest by it colourful cover and Japanese source. It follows the story of the author finding a diary from a young Japanese girl describing her life as she lives it.

Book Promotion - Vincent, Survivor by O.L. Eggert

2016-05-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Here is a quick look at a new book that will be released on June 1st!

Story Synopsis: Vincent Li always assumed he’d die in Oakwood. If the local gangs didn’t get him, then cigarettes and alcohol eventually would.

Now, he’s pretty sure minotaurs will kill him instead, and if not them, the ghouls dragging people into the dark will.

In the wake of an unexplained spike in homicides, a masked figure opens portals to another world—a world filled with dangerous magic and mythological monsters. Creatures that shouldn’t exist suddenly do, and they don’t mix well with humans. Vincent is trapped in Oakwood as the city is torn apart, but he’s no stranger to violence and will do whatever it takes to survive.

Author Bio: O.L. (Oliver Leland) Eggert has always been a reader of fantasy and sci-fi. His love of the genre spread to everything else in his life, so he ultimately became a big game/book/movie geek. He also enjoys the occasional anime.

He currently resides in the Silicon Valley with his soon-to-be wife and two dogs: Arya and Dexter. Can you guess which characters the dogs are named after?

To learn more about his current writing projects, follow him at:

www.oleggert.com

www.goodreads.com/oleggert

www.facebook.com/theoleggert

You can grab a copy at Amazon or enter the giveaway at Goodreads