Woozles, an independent book and toy store located in the
heart of downtown Halifax, is Canada's oldest children's bookstore, having just
celebrated its 37th birthday. If you haven't had the opportunity to go, it is an awesome experience! In
addition to providing a carefully-curated selection of books for infants right
up to older teens, Woozles runs book clubs for various ages and supports
reading through programs such as our annual Battle of the Books. Lisa is the Co-manager of the store, which means
that in addition to numerous other things, she has the distinct pleasure of being
one half of the team that makes the buying decisions for the store...a true
labour of love!
Here are Lisa's fave books of the year:
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Christopher Rowe has a pretty perfect life
serving as an apothecary’s assistant to the kind but firm Master Benedict
Blackthorn who rescued him from the orphanage that had been his previous
home. Master Benedict encourages
Christopher’s curiosity and challenges him to solve various puzzles and codes
on a regular basis. But when Master
Benedict becomes the latest victim in a series of gruesome murders, it falls to
Christopher to follow the clues that his master has cunningly left for him in
order to find the killers.
In this, his first novel, Kevin Sands has
crafted a satisfying and page-turning mystery that is also a rich and vivid
historical fiction novel. I loved the
way in which he really captured the feel of the city (London) while also
weaving in a wealth of information about the social and political machinations
of the time period. Most of all, though,
Christopher himself is a thoroughly wonderful protagonist. His relationship with his master as well as his
friendship with Tom, the baker’s son, were beautifully rendered. I truly enjoyed every aspect of this book and
can’t wait to read the next book from this very talented writer.
When Sydney’s older brother is sentenced to
serve time in prison for a drunk driving accident in which he seriously hurt a
boy on a bicycle, her whole family is shaken to the core. Now, more than ever, her parents’ lives
revolve around Peyton. And while her
mother devotes herself completely to his plight, Sydney wonders if anyone in
her family truly appreciates the enormity of what he has done, the irreparable
damage he has caused. Feeling like she
must remain invisible, she is surprised when she meets Layla and her brother
Mac, and the two of them readily absorb her into their circle of friends. Suddenly Sydney finds herself connecting with
a group of her peers who really see her for who she is. But when Sydney disobeys her parents to help
her new friends, her mother comes down on her with a heavy hand. Will Sydney ever be able to convince her
mother to really see her as someone with her own strengths and weaknesses
rather than just in relation to her larger-than-life older brother?
Although those who know me might be tempted
to roll their eyes and say “of course she would choose the new Sarah Dessen
book”, I put a lot of thought into this selection. Having read the book twice this past year, I
can say that it really is one of my favourite reads of 2015. It is certainly classic Sarah Dessen, in all
the ways that I love. The family
dynamics that are explored are complicated and realistic. I especially loved the way that Sydney came
to see her brother in a new light, and the cautious new relationship that they
began to develop. I loved everything
about Mac and Layla and their family…especially the bluegrass music. They play the banjo! I would have loved it for that alone! But their familial relationships are also
beautifully depicted. And, as always,
Dessen captures profound truths of every day life. The relationship that develops between Mac
and Sydney is sweet and satisfying but doesn’t overshadow the other aspects of
the story. She gets it so right in this
book, which is both exactly what we’ve come to expect from Sarah Dessen and yet
something entirely new as well.
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