contemporary

The Cast + Summer Picnic Food

August 12, 2018 by Megan Leave a Comment

Amy Blumenfeld’s The Cast centers around a group of friends -- Becca, Jordana, Seth, Holly and Lex -- who are bonded and forever touched by Becca’s battle with cancer as a teenager. Though as adults they’re not the tight-knit group they once were, this intense bond brings them back together when life happens. Jordana organizes a 4th of July weekend getaway to celebrate Becca’s 25th year cancer-free, and that’s where we begin.

Life never goes as planned, and their get-together embodies that perfectly. Everyone is hiding something but trying to keep a brave face for the others. When that all breaks down, their friendship shines the brightest and it’s obvious why it has endured so long. It was an easy book to get through, but it wasn’t “light.”

Goodbye, Paris + Treacle Tart

August 7, 2018 by Megan 5 Comments

Anstey Harris’ novel Goodbye, Paris is being marketed as “Jojo Moyes meets Eleanor Oliphant,” which is definitely what drew me to the book. I don’t necessarily agree with that assessment, but first, let me tell you about the story.

Grace was once a promising cellist, but after a #MeToo encounter in college, she has been unable to play for anyone but an empty room. Now, she runs a successful shop in England repairing and building stringed instruments, living more or less in her bubble and dreaming of a future with her long-time boyfriend. David is a married family man who lives in France. Their long-distance affair would almost be an idyllic relationship, were it not for the fact that it was an affair. When David becomes a hero one day by saving the life of a woman at a Paris Metro station, the delicate balance of his and Grace’s relationship is tipped.

Then We Came to the End + Bagels

July 24, 2018 by Megan 2 Comments

When I’m not reading, cooking or writing about it, I’m often at work. And, for those of you who don’t know, I work at an advertising agency. I’m an account person, which in a nutshell, means that most of my job is in service to our clients, doing whatever it is I need to do to make them happy. Like any job, there are a lot of things to like about advertising and there are a lot of things to dislike about it. Luckily, for me, the good far outweighs the bad.

I recently picked up Joshua Ferris’ novel Then We Came to the End as part of the Book Challenge by Erin, for the category requiring you to read a book featuring a character who shares your profession. I don’t know why, but I expected to have a hard time finding a piece of fiction about advertising. I couldn’t have been more wrong; I found this one with a simple search. Obviously, the characters in Then We Came to the End work in an ad agency - in fact, almost all of them do.

The Afterlife of Walter Augustus + Chocolate-Date Pudding Cake

July 17, 2018 by Megan 1 Comment

Hannah Lynn’s second novel The Afterlife of Walter Augustus was actually brought to my attention when the author herself reached out to me with a thoughtful email that mentioned our shared love of books (of course!) and cooking. Her description of the novel, which she self-published, sounded intriguing and I happily agreed to participate in her blog tour to celebrate and promote its release!

Walter Augustus, our main character, is stuck in what’s known as The Interim, a sort of waiting room in the afterlife where you’re unable to move on until every last person on earth has forgotten about you. While to some that might be flattering -- and I can imagine he’s surrounded by quite a few celebrities, inventors and change-makers -- to Walter, it’s frustrating. He really just wants to move on so he can see his wife and family again.

Interview with Hannah Lynn, Author of The Afterlife of Walter Augustus

July 17, 2018 by Megan 2 Comments

For those of you stopping by as part of the blog tour for The Afterlife of Walter Augustus, welcome! I was so pleased to be given the opportunity to read and review Hannah Lynn’s latest novel (review + book-inspired recipe here), which I found charming and original. I was also excited to be able to interview Hannah and learn a little bit more about her process and the book in my first ever author interview.

Have you always been a big reader?

Yes, in away. I remember getting my school’s suggested reading lists for the holidays and trying to get through as many as the titles as possible. I then moved on to binge reading different authors, which I still do occasionally. During university, I fell out of the habit of reading for pleasure, and it took a while to find my way back. Fortunately I met my husband, who is an English teacher, shortly after, and we instantly bonded over books.

How to Walk Away + S'mores Brownies

July 14, 2018 by Megan 2 Comments

Sometimes I hear so many good things about a book that I request it from the library without even really seeing what it’s about, and that’s exactly what happened in the case of Katherine Center’s How to Walk Away. I’m glad I took the leap of faith because it turned out to be absolutely wonderful.

This novel is about a young woman who’s at the top of her game - Margaret has just finished her MBA, she has a lucrative and exciting job lined up, and she thinks her long-time boyfriend Chip is going to propose. However, on what is supposed to be a happy, celebratory day in her life, everything comes crashing down.