I'm a new fan of John Heldt because of his ability to write stories that uses the time travel element to propel forward a good story without the fantastical part overwhelming the plot. And unlike other time travel novels, his characters only travel back within fifty years rather than hundreds. His first book The Mine (read my review) captured my attention and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read this second novel.

Recently widowed and childless, 48 year-old Michelle Preston decides to go back to her hometown for a class reunion. After visiting an abandoned mansion and entering a mysterious room, she ends up travelling back in time thirty years to 1979. She finds a job as a secretary at her old high school and meets her former classmates, her parents and her younger self, all of whom have no idea who she is. She befriends her younger self Shelly, as she was known in school, and also finds a new love. But knowing about future events propels her to make a sacrifice in order to save lives and give herself a second shot at life.

Once again, I was quickly taken in with the story and wondered how the time travel element was going to direct it. Michelle is in the position of being a mature woman in the same environment as her teenage self. She can see herself as she was back then, young and confused, with different eyes. It made me wonder what I would feel and do if I was suddenly thrown back to my teenage years to see myself in school with my friends and former boyfriend. Would I want to give myself advice and see if I took a different path in life? Probably. Or maybe not at all because of what those changes might mean for the future? You know how we all wish we had done things differently during those tumultuous teen years?!

Well, this book made me question all that because of what Michelle did. I have to admit that at first I had a hard time believing Shelly did not recognize herself thirty years into the future. I know my face hasn't changed all that much and I look pretty much the same way I did when I was in high school 28 years ago. Even her parents didn't recognize her. Also, there seemed to be little reaction toward seeing her former boyfriend who had been her husband for many years and had recently died. But once I got past this lack of dramatic opening (must be the Italian in me that expected it!) I was able to focus more on the storyline to see where it was heading.

Heldt managed to surprise me once again with his ending, which was bittersweet and satisfying. If you like time travel stories that deal with relationships and second chances you will like this one. It took me back to my high school days and entertained me with a story that had me questioning what I would have done differently if given a second chance.

Note: This book contains some sexual scenes, not too explicit.

Mair Ellis finds an exquisite shawl, the craftsmanship of which is unparalleled today, as she is clearing out her dead parents' house. Along with it she finds the lock of a child's curly hair. With her adventurous spirit, Mair sets out to find out all she can about the shawl which belonged to her grandmother. She traces it back to Kashmir, India, where her grandparents Nerys and Evan Watkins did missionary work. There she embarks on a quest that changes her life.

The story alternates with that of her newlywed grandmother Nerys in 1941 during WWII when she and her husband Evan live a simple life doing missionary work in a remote area of India. When Nerys suffers a miscarriage, Evan sends her with friends to rest in Kashmir, an exotic lakeside city, where the British dance, have affairs and gossip, while he travels on a missionary assignment elsewhere. There Nerys learns a lot about herself and what makes her happy. She becomes involved with three people who become key players in her life, Myrtle, Rainer and Caroline.

Although the book has a slow start and some slow parts throughout, Thomas is a great storyteller as she brings her story from the present to the past and weaves the two together. India is exotic and poor, and I learned so much about the fascinating art of shawl weaving. Both the present story and the historical one kept my interest. There is a scene in Mair's story that is heartbreaking. I also couldn't help but be reminded a little of The Great Gatsby as I read the historical one because of how the British socialized. The War affected the British society in India, and I can appreciate this was hard on wives whose husbands left to fight. It was touching to see how Nerys and Myrtle came to the aid of one of the women.

Nerys is a level-headed woman who is unsure about her faith except she loves her role in helping the children in the missionary post. She doesn't have a relationship with God, but she is kind and generous and self-sacrificing. But she does eventually engage in an affair with another man who falls in love with her. She feels absolutely no guilt about doing so and she gives no thought to what this relationship will mean to her lover, especially when her husband returns. This made me uncomfortable as it seemed that the book's message was that having an affair could actually spice up one's marriage and would not affect a woman's relationship with her husband. I could understand what drove one of the other women to have an affair but not Nerys. Her husband was not perfect but neither did he deserve to be cuckolded.

I can see that quite a lot of research went into the writing of this epic novel with storytelling that pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. I was invested in the story, but not always in the characters.

Note: This book contains some sex scenes, not too explicit and some religious expletives.

I didn't quite know what to expect from this novel, but I didn't think it would affect me so deeply, make me laugh and cry and sigh. I simply loved reading this book. I savored it and didn't wanting it to end.

Meg May grew up with an imaginative and free-spirited mom, Valerie, who told her funny and outlandish stories about her childhood. Whenever Meg asked her what really happened, her mom would repeat these same stories. As Meg grew up she became frustrated and rejected anything illogical and decided to become a scientist. She wanted to be the opposite of her mother. When Valerie became ill and Meg realized she was dying, Meg decided to spend the summer with her. Finally, she was determined to know the truth about her past, about who she was.

Meg learned more than she was prepared for but the presence of Ewan, the young gardener--who her mother hired to tend the vegetable garden and landscape--and her mother's advancing illness jolted her to question everything she ever believed and what truly matters. Is her mother crazy or is there a reason why she invents stories about her past life and Meg's childhood? And how will the truth change who she is?

Beautifully written, and filled with the warmth of comfort food, spices and herbs, gardens and orchards, and a loving but conflicted mother-and-daughter relationship, this debut novel is simply a delicious and feel-good read. I loved how Meg grew as a person, how she was torn with her feelings about a mother she adored yet rejected, until she came to realize the sacrifices her mother made in loving her to the best of her abilities. Valerie's character made me want to be a more fun-loving mom. Ewan was a smart and confident young man whose insightful nature helped both Meg and her mother heal. I was attracted to him immediately!

This is a warm novel that deals with relationships using quirky humour, nature, and the power of storytelling. It will count as one of my best read in 2013. Highly recommended.

Set in England, we follow Lily, an elderly woman having just lost her husband of fifty-five years, who now dares to allow herself to reminisce to the time when she was a young woman weaving colorful silk in her father's mill while her country was at the brink of WWII. It was an emotional time of great loss for Lily who has carried guilt for years and never disclosed any of her past life with her children or grandchildren. It's a story about independence, forbidden love, the losses of war and learning to forgive oneself of past mistakes. Most of the novel takes place in the past and once that story took off I became very absorbed in this book.

The author's family have been silk weavers for nearly 300 years and her first-hand knowledge of silk weaving is obvious as she describes the process, which is fascinating, and showed how war made a difference for owners of such companies who had to improvise to stay afloat. The element of silk production also made for a very unique plot. I knew silk was a wonderful fiber but learning how strong, fine and lustrous it is, originating from silkworms that produce it to make their cocoons, increased my respect for nature's wonders.

Lily was a complex character, both strong and vulnerable as she navigated the yearning of youth at a time of fear and uncertainty. I liked her and her family, both for how they handled situations that came up because of the war, such as taking in three Jewish German teenaged boys who had come to England's countryside for safeguarding from the Nazis. Things became complicated when England declares war with Germany and everyone is afraid of spies. This puts the boys in danger and creates heartbreak for Lily who has fallen in love with one of them.

The romance in this novel took me back to my teenage years, and my heart broke for Lily when her love became forbidden because of the circumstances caused by the war. Her mother also suffers a nervous breakdown and she finds solace with Gwen, her friend who is also the assistant weaving floor manager at the mill. Gwen is a great character, kind, hardworking, and loyal. She is also a lesbian who hopes her relationship with Lily will become more than just friends. It doesn't.

I like the way the book ends. How the new generation--Lily's granddaughter--actually helps her grandmother heal. This book is rich in bringing out the power of relationships, whether parental, filial or romantic. The author, who has transitioned from journalistic writing to fiction, has written a stunning debut novel, which I found atmospheric, emotional, and satisfying.

Note: This book contains religious expletives and 5 f-bombs. It also has some sexual content which is not too explicit.

This cute little gift book contains about fifty inspirational thoughts that are uplifting and empowering, encouraging the reader to be his best self. They are accompanied by whimsical and pastel-coloured illustrations by Amanda Cass. This is a book that makes one reflect, and the messages will help the person who has suffered judgement, has been put down, has been or going through great obstacles in life, has fears holding them back, is down in life and so forth. I think everyone can relate to these positive thoughts.

Author Dodinsky first started sharing these thoughts online as a way of coping with his ordeals and before he knew it he was getting emails from people of all walks of life telling him how much he inspired them. Although it can be read in fifteen minutes, the inspirational thoughts make one stop to think. They are deep and poignant. Here are two that touched me:

To strengthen the muscles of your heart,
the best exercise is lifting someone else's
spirit whenever you can.

If you stumbled today,
remember where and how it felt.
Tomorrow, take a different path.
Life flourishes from its pain
and the lessons we gain.

This collection of positive messages would make a great gift for anyone who may be going through a rough spell, even young ones and especially teens. Or perhaps for that friend who has been there for you, that co-worker who is helpful to everyone, or that person who always knows what to say to cheer you up. The book is attractive and could be left on a coffee table where it is sure to be picked up, leaving the reader with thoughts on which to ponder and meditate.

In this debut novel of the Cragbridge Hall series, twins Abby and Derick are about to attend a new school—Cragbridge Hall, the premiere junior high in the world, founded by their genius grandfather Oscar Cragbridge. The year is 2074 and this prestigious school has advanced technology that allows the students to watch history happen around them, run up a virtual mountain in gym class and learn about animals by becoming one through an avatar. But on their first day of school, their grandfather and parents go missing, leaving Abby and Derick to follow a trail of clues left by their grandfather. Oscar Cragbridge has a secret and someone is determined to get it to change the world. The race is on to save their family and discover their grandfather's secret that could be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people.

I read this book with my son and we enjoyed the cool things that the students could do at Cragbridge Hall. My son especially liked the gym class and the avatars. Abby and Derick are good kids, but Abby lives in the shadow of her brother who is a genius, whereas she is pretty ordinary and only got accepted into the school because of her grandfather. When her dorm roommate discovers this she ostracized Abby and humiliates her publicly. We follow Abby's journey as she learns to have confidence in her own strengths even if in the eyes of her classmates they seem mediocre at best. We especially loved this message that ordinary can be extraordinary when we accept who we are and work with what we have. Derick, on the other hand, had to accept that failing means we can learn from it and move on to do better.

There is a lot happening in this book and it happens all in the span of three days. The clues left by the grandfather have to do with historical people, so we get to learn in detail about what these people accomplished in the past by watching history unfold through an invention called the Bridge. These history lessons were interesting and we learned about several historical figures. This made for a lot of characters to retain and figure out how they related to grandpa Cragbridge and his clues. Sometimes my 9-year-old son found these accounts a little long. But it all came together in the end, where the suspense finally builds up as they race to save their parents.

Along the way, the twins make friends and discover who they can and can't trust in the academy. They are brave and courageous in the face of what they must go through to find their grandfather and parents. The mix of futuristic elements, historical people, time travel, villains and school life makes for a unique plotline and setting. The ending is great without any cliffhangers, but only a few unresolved issues that will surely present themselves in Book Two.

This is a well-written book by an author who has talent for creating an imaginary future with ties to the past. Recommended for all middle-graders who love a good adventure. Great for family reading too.

This is the third book in the Real Mermaids series about a tween who discovers she's an aqua-phobic mer-girl. Once again, this book picks up where the last one ended. Jade begins high school and shortly afterwards strange things begin happening when the Mermish Council declares that all land-dwelling mers must return to the ocean. But the Fall Formal dance is around the corner and tradition calls for the girl to ask the boy to the dance. Jade is so nervous about asking Luke because she doesn't think she's a good dancer, but before she can worry about that, she's needed back in the ocean if she's to help the people she loves from disappearing from her life for good.

Jade continues to be true to her character using her wits and boldness as she fights back against the Mermish Council. Boudreau introduces some of the usual issues about first going to high school—not having any friends in the same classes, boys, and friendships. My daughter will be entering high school (middle school for those of you in the US) next year so this was right up her alley. Many of the same characters from the first two books are back and all the plot threads are tied up nicely in the end. There were a few surprises, as with the last two books, making this a fun and adventurous book to read.

Although Jade is fourteen, she is very close to her parents and this book involved the grown-ups as much as the kids. Of course, the kids save the day, as it should be in a kid's book. It shows the teens sharing a good relationship with the adults in their lives, and I have to say that as a parent this was refreshing to read. I think that's why both my daughter and I enjoyed this series so much. Fantasy for the whole family.

There were times when we were a little confused about the whole Mermish Council affair, but in the end, it didn't detract too much from our enjoyment of this story. Real Mermaids is a feel-good series with a flawed but lovable teen, her close-knit friends, a seaside town with secrets, and the charming way it all works out in the end.

About 4 years ago I read Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and liked the gems of wisdom I found in that little book written in the 50s with advice still relevant to women of the 21st century. And though I knew of Charles Lindbergh, I didn't know as much about his wife, which is why I was so excited to read Melanie Benjamin's The Aviator's Wife, a novel that succeeds so well in painting a portrait of this extraordinary woman.

Most, like me, may just have known Anne Morrow Lindbergh as the wife of the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean from America to France. Or perhaps as an author, for she has written several books. But after reading this book, we get to know a whole lot more about Anne; her accomplishment as co-pilot with Charles as she helped him chart routes for airlines; their struggle with being hounded by the media; how the kidnapping and murder of their firstborn baby boy affected both her and Charles, and later in life how she dealt with her husband's lack of presence as he flew off constantly for work.

Although it was difficult not to admire and marvel at the work of Charles Lindbergh, I did not like him as a person, or rather as a character in this book. Benjamin does an amazing job of getting the reader on board with a mix of emotions as we read of Anne, her triumphs and mistakes as she supports her husband, (in situations when I'm sure I would not have done so); lives through the unimaginable events of losing a baby boy with the media feasting on every aspect of this news; and loves her husband to the end, appreciating the joys they experienced together even with all the bad hoopla their fame brought them.

I was compelled to do more research about the Lindberghs as I was reading this book, wondering, if the events in this fiction account were actual events that had transpired. Writing this book was an ambitious undertaking, but I truly think Benjamin pulled it off very well. The story flows smoothly through the years as we read about a remarkable couple and how they managed (or rather she did) to make their marriage survive through all the ups and downs. Anne was the perfect wife for Charles because she understood him and by his side she helped him to become the man he was, even though most of the world did not seem to acknowledge her role in his life.

When I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I co-lead day programs for seniors in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer's, and I am always looking to learn more in this field. The Memory Clinic is written by Dr. Tiffany Chow, a behavioural neurologist in the Ross Memory Clinic at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto, a centre we respect and highly admire in the community centre where I work in Montreal.

The first thing that struck me about this book is that it's easy to read. Dr. Chow uses anecdotes, and, in particular, illustrations and metaphors throughout her book, especially when explaining the treatments and latest research. Written in the first-person point of view, reading it felt as if Dr. Chow was sitting in front of me telling me about her experiences with Alzheimer's, her research, her family history and her own personal goals to prevent getting Alzheimer's. Part memoir, part discussion on dementia, Dr. Chow comes across as a compassionate doctor who understands what it's like to have a family member suffer from Alzheimer's since her own beloved grandmother died from this illness. True to its title, Dr. Chow fills this book with stories that are hopeful and inspirational even as they are heartbreaking, especially when she relates stories of her early onset clients.

The whole tone of the book is hopeful, compassionate and encouraging. “It takes a certain amount of grace and creativity to find the poetry within the broken narrative that is dementia,” says Dr. Chow. (p. 110 of review copy) What beautiful words! In my field I know this to be true. One has to look beyond the illness and find new ways of interacting so as not to lose the joy when dementia strikes and changes our loved one.

Some of the topics she discusses are: causes of dementia; why women suffer from Alzheimer's more than men; the inheritance factor; defences against dementia where she talks about cognitive reserve and brain plasticity; managing stress, eating well, doing exercise and social networking as ways to lower risk of dementia; the importance of the doctor-patient relationship; and the current and upcoming treatments, such as a vaccine against the beta form of amyloid. What intrigued me the most was the cognitive reserve theory. Dr. Chow states, “Scientists have learned that higher educational levels allow us to build up cognitive reserve, akin to the concept of saving money in the bank for an unforeseen crisis.” (p. 52 of review copy) I want to look more into this.

She ends the book with extensive notes filled with resources and bibliography of all the information she quotes such as studies, statistics, research and additional reading. An index is likewise included. I highly recommend this book to anyone working with person's with dementia, have a family member with dementia or are concerned about the risk of dementia. Statistics say that Alzheimer's is on the rise, therefore learning more about this illness will only help us to understand better and become more compassionate toward families and communities dealing with its effects.

From the moment I read the synopsis of this book I knew I wanted to read it. When I downloaded it from Netgalley, I decided to take a peek and dip into it. After all, I surmised, it could turn out to be corny. Not! I started reading and... never stopped. It was unputdownable! It's been awhile since a book had me so engrossed. I smirked, laughed (burst out loud), sighed and cried, especially as I came to the end of it all. I wanted to call someone and talk about the book.

Louisa Clark lives in a touristic English town with a castle at its centre, working in a small café, doing a job she loves. But when the café closes down, Louisa needs to find another job fast. Her father is on the brink of losing his own job and her smart sister wants to go back to college, but needs her family's support because she also has a preschooler. Out of desperation, Louisa accepts to be caregiver to wealthy Will Traynor, a quadriplegic who was once a high-powered business man. After a rocky start, both Louisa and Will discover there is more to each other than they had first anticipated. And their lives are never going to be the same.

I loved this story. It was different, thought-provoking, deep, funny, serious and, oh-so-captivating. I read for hours non-stop; something I don't usually do with my frenetic schedule. Although there is a romantic element in the story, this is not a romance novel, even though the book cover is suited for chick-lit. The element of true friendship stands out more. It's an easy book to read, without slow spots. I was surprised by Moyes ability to so strongly pull me into the story.

I found the characters to be realistic. Louisa may have come across as a real simple girl to begin with, hanging on to a 7-year relationship that was going nowhere and having no real aspiration for her future, but I really liked her a lot, and I began to see her strong qualities as the story progressed. I loved her self-confidence, her colourful wardrobe and the way she could see the good in people, even when at times she wasn't treated well. There was so much more to her and the author peels back the layers to her personality as the story progresses until we get to see the full picture. She does the same with Will.

Will's life changed dramatically after an accident leaves him dependent on others for all his basic needs. I appreciated how the author gives the reader a realistic and sometimes painfully honest look at what it's like to be a quadriplegic. The ethical subject of euthanasia is at the core of this story, making this book great for book clubs. I have my personal view of this topic, and I will not go into it, but having lost friends to suicide I can understand what pain and suffering can drive a person to do and it saddens me to no end that there are many people who suffer enormously everyday.

The ending was bittersweet. It left me sad and happy all at the same time. It's a story that has stayed with me days after I read it. And will stay with me for many days more.

Note: This book contains f-bombs and religious expletives.