Giveaways and Reviews

Need A New Book Suggestion? Share Yours Here!

Last month I shared my 5 summer reading picks in a Chapters/Indigo gift card giveaway, and got so many great suggestions that I decided to do it again. This time, focusing on my fall reads for next month when the kids are back at school.

I just finished The Handmaid’s Tale, mentioned in my post last month and LOVED IT! I still can’t believe that it took me this long to read Margaret Atwood, and also wish it had been part of my high school English class like many others had the opportunity to read, but it likely wouldn’t have had the impact on me that it did now, especially in light of the current US political climate. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I strongly encourage you to. Diving into the TV Series next!

I just finished In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, and have started The Lying Game, and then remembered how much I loved The Woman In Cabin 10 – the first Ruth Ware book I read earlier this year. The main character is a travel blogger, which had me interested right away! This book should be made into a movie!

This book isn’t mentioned a lot among my friends, and I happened to pick it up at Chapters only because I read the back and it sounded interesting, so it was a risk (I much prefer friend’s endorsements on my next read). However, it was a really great read and now I’m the one recommending it to my friends (in fact, someone has it right now and I can’t remember who!) The story is told in reverse which takes a little getting used to, and you often wonder if you’re missing a detail that might be important later on – but keep reading. The mystery of two missing girls, decades apart, unfolds before you.

Another vacation read for me earlier in the year, I still haven’t seen the movie version yet and am unsure if I want to (the book is always better). This was a captivating read, based on a true story, and it’s told beautifully. It also reminded me of a favorite book read years ago…

I wrote a review of Secret Daughter back in 2010 on the blog, and was thrilled when author Shilpi Somaya Gowda left a comment on the post thanking me for it! Then, in a website makeover, I lost all comments on old posts and it was gone forever! You can read the review on the older post and see why I loved it so much!

This time around, I’m giving you the opportunity to win a $25 gift card from Amazon.ca – that way you can use it to order books delivered to your door, or a book for your e-Reader (since we’ve been really enjoying ours this summer – options are good!) To enter, simply fill in your name and email address in the form below, and then leave me a comment on this blog post – have you read any of the books I suggested? Do you have your own suggestion for me and others based on what I shared here? I’d love to hear!

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  • I haven’t read any of these ones but I’m always looking for new reads! I’m currently reading “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah. It’s super interesting and pretty crazy. I’m also working through Harry Potter #2 with my oldest 🙂

  • I would love to read The Woman In Cabin 10. It sounds very interesting to me. I haven’t done much reading this summer.

  • I’d love to read Lion, as I’ve heard wonderful things about the book. Then, I’ll watch the movie, as I enjoy comparing and contrasting!

  • I’ve read your first three picks and enjoyed them very much. I would recommend Salman Rushdie’s new book The Golden House which is incredible. I also really liked Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin which is a ton of fun!

  • I’ve not read any of these and they all sound really good. I think that All the Missing Girls would be the one I’d like to read first.

  • The Handmaid’s Tale has been advertised a lot lately but it isn’t what I like and the books I do religiously are romance so the other books don’t thrill me either.
    The book I’m doing right is “Last Night With the Duke” and it’s funny, dramatic and most importantly romantic.

  • The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich if you want a good laugh and read. The series is addicting.

  • I’m currently reading Doris Lessing’s A Proper Marriage. She is a fabulous storyteller, and I’m enjoying this book as much as I liked The Grass is Singing. Check her out 🙂

  • I haven’t read any of your recommendations but I do love reading before bed and love reading Amish fiction. I also enjoy reading Chicken Soup for the Soul books as the stories are heart warming and make great before bed reading.

  • I haven’t read anything by these author yet. All these sounds like very good book. I think I would really enjoy The Woman In Cabin 10.

  • I read All the Missing Girls and really enjoyed it. The Girl In Cabin 10 was also a terrific, engrossing book.

  • I love the The Handmaid’s Tale! I read it in school, both high school and college, and then I re-read it again twice as an adult. I think it’s about time I read it again actually! All the Missing Girls looks like a book I would also like. And I saw a news story on the boy/man that Lion is based on – I had no idea it was a book or a movie! I think I’m going to read all the books you’ve mentioned actually – there is something drawing me to each one!

  • I am really interested in All The Missing Girls. I’ve been hearing so much about The Handmaid’s Tale but haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet.

  • None of these seem like my style books, but you never know till you read them right?
    I read Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry recently and it makes you stop and think.

  • I read the Handmaid’s Tale years ago and earlier this year read the Woman in Cabin 10.
    I did not read Lion but I did see the movie.
    Some suggestions for you include:

    Where They Found Her
    The Child

  • All The Missing Girls has been on my reading list, and I read The Handmaids Tail when Atwood first wrote it.

  • I have not read any of these books but have seen Handmaid’s Tale recently on TV and loved it. I am sure it is written in deeper detail. I am interested in reading All the Missing Girls

  • I dont know where you find time to read/ These books all look awesome and I will add them to my list starting with the missing girls.

  • I like all of these suggestions and I was recently talking about reading the Handmaid’s tale…I think I’ll pick it up

  • I like your reviews, not a lot of time to read, so I enjoy that a review is given and I don’t have to select a book that most likely I would not enjoy.

  • You have some pretty goods picks here! I tend to read the young adult books and series, I couldn’t put down the Gone series by Michael Grant when I got started

  • ‘The Secret Daughter’ is an all time favourite book of mine! Any spare minute I have I am reading, so I have read all of these, but I want to get my hands on ‘What Happened’.

  • After reading your review of All the Missing Girls have to go get it sounds like something I would really enjoy

  • Those are all good reads! I have read The Handmaid’s Tale before. My reading suggestion would be The Couple Next Door, it’s very suspenseful!

  • I haven’t read thrillers in a while, so all of these picks are interesting to me. A “Gone Girl” feel about a lot of them.

  • I would like to read Lion. I have seen the movie and would love the chance to compare them. I think all your choices sound great.

  • I’m placing The Woman In Cabin 10 on my list to read. I love all romantic novels especially by Nicholas Sparks

  • I have so many books on my to-read list already, but just added Secret Daughter to my list. That one sounds like an excellent read.

  • I agree with your picks of The Handmaid’s Tale and Lion… both were very thought-provoking novels! I did read The Handmaid’s Tale in school and now my daughter will be reading it soon! Love when the next generation experiences great reads that we did!

  • I love a Handmaid’s Tale- it is excellent. The other books look interesting! I would suggest Colleen Hoover they are pretty neat books.

  • I’ve read the Handmaid’s Tale and loved the new series! I’d like to check out Secret Daughter, thanks!

  • I just asked my facebook friends for book ideas for my last flight and they loved to share! I like the sounds of the woman in cabin 10 and all the missing girls. Both sound good.

  • Always appreciate seeing reading recommendations and will look into these. The book that started off my summer reading was quite good – The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka. I also enjoyed catching up with some of my favorite characters in “Precious and Grace” (the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency), by Alexander McCall Smith.

  • I have not read any of your picks but they sound like good ones. I especially like true stories. I read lots and would use this for paperback books as I really do not like ereaders.

  • We had to read the Handmades tale back in HS and I might read the woman in cabin 10 but mainly I’m a YA reader.

  • I haven’t read any of your suggestions, but, I might consider reading the Missing Girls. I love reading mystery and true crime novels.

  • I think I would enjoy reading All The Missing Girls that you recommend. It sounds like it might be a bit of a challenge to read with the story written in reverse but I would enjoy that and perhaps reread parts to see if I missed a small detail I needed.

  • I haven’t read any of your picks! I love to read though – some of my faves are The Light Between Oceans, Gone Girl, and The Husband’s Secrets. All suspenseful! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

  • Sounds like an awesome bunch of books. I haven’t heard of any of these. Right now I’m about to read “IT” by Stephen King. I want to read it before I see the movie. Yeah he’s one of my favorite authors of all time.

  • I haven’t read any of your suggestions yet but the Lion sounds very intriguing as I want to learn what happened when he found his way back home 25 years later. Also I really enjoy reading or watching true stories.

  • It was supposed to be a summer of reading but that did not happen as planned. I would love to read “Lion” before I see the movie also.

  • I think I would enjoy reading any of your picks. My favorite read this summer was The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

  • Great suggestions. I tend to read Christian novels (fiction) or other Christian books (non-fiction). I haven’t read anything that you’ve suggested here. What I do try to do is read a book before watching the related movie for it. I’m curious to check out Lion.