Perfect Picture Books to get this Holiday Season from Tundra Books! | A Double Dose of Anne & a Magical Secret!

Greetings readers!

I’m coming to you today with a extra adorable post, seriously I can’t think of a better word to describe these three books other than A D O R A B L E!!

With the holidays coming up, it is definitely time that you start thinking about presents. Obviously if you are a bookworm the #1 item on your wish list will be books! But what about that little reader in your life? The one that is still a fan of seeing more pictures than words? Well luckily I have three great recs for you right here!

I would like to send an enormous thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me these three books! They had such great books on their Holiday catalogue, but I am so happy with the ones I ended up choosing!

Anne Arrives: Inspired by Anne of Green Gables adapted by Kallie George, illustrated by Abigail Halpin

Publisher: Tundra Books
Pub Date: Sept 25, 2018
Price: $16.99 CAD
ISBN: 9781770499300
Goodreads

Amazon

Chapters-Indigo

The charming first book in a new early-reader series, starring the spirited — and outspoken — Anne Shirley as she first arrives at Green Gables.

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert need help on their farm, so they’ve adopted what they hope will be a sturdy, helpful boy. Instead, Matthew finds Anne awaiting him at the train station — imaginative, brash, redheaded Anne-with-an-e. With her place at the Cuthberts’ at risk — particularly if nosy neighbor Mrs. Lynde has anything to say about it — Anne will have to learn patience, understanding and what it takes to make Green Gables her true home.

Lovingly adapted by Kallie George with beautiful, nostalgic illustrations by Abigail Halpin, Anne Arrives is perfect for new fans of Anne and old.

This book is really great if you want to push the novel on your young readers! It focuses on telling the story of when Anne first arrives to Avonlea. George covers all the important bits, from Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s nosy wanderings, to Anne’s long conversation with a silent Matthew, Marilla’s final decision to let Anne stay and all the mishaps and crazy things that happen in between. I loved how George was able to compact everything that happened within those first few chapters into a single chapter book with pages that don’t hold more than three sentences! And I loved the illustrations! Halpin did an amazing job of depicting the scenery of Avonlea and the expressions of all the characters, especially Anne who has so much spirit! It truly is a gem of a book! I am positive that once your little reader hears this story they will want to know what happens after! What new adventures this little red-headed spirit has and what kind of trouble she gets herself into!

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars!

Recommend: Great way to introduce Anne to kids!

Goodnight, Anne by Kallie George, illustrated by Genevieve Godbout

Publisher: Tundra Books
Pub Date: Sept. 25th, 2018
Price: $21.99 CAD
ISBN: 9781770499263
Goodreads

Amazon

Chapters-Indigo

A beautiful bedtime picture book based on the best-selling Anne of Green Gables, introducing the irrepressible and beloved Anne to younger readers. It’s time for Anne to go to bed, but not before she wishes goodnight to everyone and everything she loves!

Under the watchful eye of her adoptive mother Marilla, Anne has come to cherish life at Green Gables — the dearest, loveliest spot in the world, and her true home. Every night before she goes to bed, she thinks of all the people and places she loves: her family, her bosom friend Diana, her splendid teacher Miss Stacy, beloved tree Snow Queen, the Lake of Shining Waters and the brilliant sky above. Anne even wishes goodnight — or good riddance! — to pesky classmate Gilbert and nosy neighbor Mrs. Lynde. And through it all, Anne’s imagination takes flight on a whimsical journey through Avonlea.

This sweet and heartfelt picture book is a perfect read-aloud introduction to L.M. Montgomery’s beloved Anne and will delight her brand-new fans and lifelong readers alike.

This was utterly perfect. If I were still a child, asking my mom for bedtime stories, I would definitely ask for this one repeatedly! I want to start off by talking about the illustrations because they were literally had my jaw on the floor since I set my eyes on the cover. I know they look very simplistic, but that is exactly what makes them so beautiful. I loved the use of colour and contrast, they really made the images on the page stand out. I also really love the visual texture, it looks like the drawings were made through crayon and it just added this softness and whimsy to the story. Now the actually story itself is quite fun! George was able to capture Anne’s voice and make it part of her own story. She brings up a lot of people and places that are so important to Anne which I loved seeing. I especially loved her page on Gilbert and Mrs. Lynde! The ending of the story was very sweet and I’m sure your young ones will be having beautiful dreams after reading this!

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars!

Recommend: For the sleepy, kindred spirits!

The Magician’s Secret by Zazhary Hyman, illustrated by Joe Bluhm

Publisher: Tundra Books
Pub Date: April 3rd, 2018
Price: $21.99 CAD
ISBN: 9781770498945
Goodreads

Amazon

Chapters-Indigo

This action-adventure picture book featuring a grandfather and grandson duo celebrates the power of imagination and the magic of make believe.

Charlie loves when Grandpa comes to babysit because he always brings his magical imagination. Grandpa was a magician who knows the most amazing tricks; he can pull a rabbit from a hat and make a coin disappear. But what Charlie loves most are his wonderful adventure stories, and they all begin with something his grandfather has saved in his Magic Story Chest. An hourglass is a reminder of how he defended the treasure in King Tut’s tomb from raiders. A long white scarf inspires the story about Grandpa’s dogfight with the notorious Red Baron, the great First World War fighter pilot. A coconut shell heralds the story about his encounter with a nasty Tyrannosaurus Rex. Charlie’s parents, though, aren’t too sure they like Grandpa’s stories and warn Charlie that they’re just “tall tales.” What is Charlie to believe? How can his grandpa convince him that all you need to do is believe and a dream can be turned into something real?

Have I repeated the word “adorable” to much?? Well I have to use it again. This story was fantastically, and magically adorable. This was a superb adventure story filled with fun, family and imagination. Charlie and his grandpa were so charismatic. Every tale that was told held a lot of fun, lots of action and suspense, and even a little magic. I loved that Charlie talked about his grandfather with wonder in his voice and awe in his eyes, he was truly a curious soul! As for the grandpa, he was quite the adventurer and I love how he acted a little kid-like too. The overall messages that the story sends are really important too. The need to let kids dream and imagine is so important, but the parallel message of having adults that can dream, imagine and support their kids too is just as equally as important. Again, the illustrations had my jaw on the floor. The colour, the detail…THE DETAIL. Wow! I stared at each page for a while, there were so many things to pick up on! Overall, this story was sweet, fun and I’m sure one that all kids will enjoy!

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars!

Recommend: Perfect for the curious kid souls!

Let me know what you think! Have you read any of these? Are you a fan of Anne? Are you looking to pick up some picture books for the little readers in your life? What is one book you would love to see as a picture book?

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

3 Days, 3 Quotes Tag: Day 3

Greetings readers!

Today is the final day of this super cute tag! I have had so much fun finding these quotes and I hope you choose to participate whether you are tagged or not!

This final day I have dedicated to you all…

Rules

• Thank the person who nominated you

• Post a quote for 3 consecutive days (1 quote for each day)

• Nominate three new bloggers each day

Quote 3:

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

via Tumblr

I wanted to use this one very much because I have found so many Kindred Spirits through this blog. I am so grateful for all the wonderful friends I have made through this new bookish journey, you are all so kind and incredible! You are all Kindred Spirits, Anne would be overwhelmed by all this love.

I Tag…

Rimpy Reads

Books Teacup and Reviews

Jasmine’s Reading Blog

*Feel no pressure to participate*

Let me know what you think! How many kindred spirits do you have in your life? 

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

Maud (ARC) Review

Greetings readers!

*Fourth book knocked off the TBR!* YES

(No, I haven’t posted about my third book yet…but that will be coming your way soon!)

Okay, so a while ago I decided that I would sign up for Net Galley despite having a baby-blog and a smaller amount of followers compared to the hundreds of other blogs signed up for Net Galley. Like most beginners, I was denied requests and although the first one stung a little, I kept at it. (I knew that it was far too popular for a small blogger like me to get a chance at it!)

But only a few days after my first request got denied, I made a second request and I was APPROVED!

*cheers*

Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane

via Goodreads

 

Goodreads Summary

For the first time ever, a young adult novel about the teen years of L.M. Montgomery, the author who brought us ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.

Fourteen-year-old Lucy Maud Montgomery — Maud to her friends — has a dream: to go to college and become a writer, just like her idol, Louisa May Alcott. But living with her grandparents on Prince Edward Island, she worries that this dream will never come true. Her grandfather has strong opinions about a woman’s place in the world, and they do not include spending good money on college. Luckily, she has a teacher to believe in her, and good friends to support her, including Nate, the Baptist minister’s stepson and the smartest boy in the class. If only he weren’t a Baptist; her Presbyterian grandparents would never approve. Then again, Maud isn’t sure she wants to settle down with a boy — her dreams of being a writer are much more important.

But life changes for Maud when she goes out West to live with her father and his new wife and daughter. Her new home offers her another chance at love, as well as attending school, but tensions increase as Maud discovers her stepmother’s plans for her, which threaten Maud’s future — and her happiness forever.

*I was provided an e-ARC through Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada, thank you so much*

I have been extremely excited about this book ever since I first heard about it. A story based on the teenage years of the author who wrote the Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables? YES GIVE IT TO ME NOW! Although, I’ve only read Anne once (I am going to re-read it soon, however!) it really touched my heart. It was funny, charming and I absolutely adore it. (Plus I have seen the show many. many times). So reading this story and finding the connections between the Maud’s life and Anne’s life was truly a treasure. However, this is a work of fiction so Maud’s life most likely did not unravel as it did in this book. Still I really enjoyed Maud’s character and the story of her life when she was fourteen.

*Confession*: I know only a little history behind L.M. Montgomery. My fourth grade teacher asked us all to pick an author to write about and since my sister was studying Anne at the time with her teacher, I used Montgomery for my project. So, all I really knew about Maud going in was that her parents died when she was 2 and she was then shipped off to live with her grandparents. That’s about all I remember.

Reading this book gave me a little more insight into what Maud’s life could have been like growing up a teen in the 1890s.

What I liked

Characters: 

Maud: How could I not like Maud? She was charming, caring and ever so studious. She loved hanging out with her friends and helping her grandparents despite their stern demeanour. I really enjoyed her perseverance against the challenges put in her path. She was trying to find somewhere she belonged in a community that only remembered the scandal of her parents. Her father and step-mother situation was probably the most hurtful experience she had to go through in terms of family issues. She faced backlash and denial as she tried to make a career for herself, something women in the 1800s were not typically found doing. Yet, Maud found her way to make her writing dream come true and I really appreciated that about her. She went through a lot of change over the course of the novel which I found relatable because who can really say they are the same person today as they were three years ago?

I feel hesitant to mention other characters for means of spoilers…but I really enjoyed the friendships she made with Laura and Mollie. This is a story of Maud’s life over the course of two to three years. So some people come and go while others stay. It was truly fascinating to see how her relationships with the characters played out.

The Setting: *I will gloat a little here.* FOR ONCE I HAD AN IDEA OF WHERE THE CHARACTERS WERE!

via giphy.com

Listen people, a lot of the books I read are set in the US. And even though they say that the character travelled from point A to point B, I have no sense of location when they start bringing up American states and cities. But in this book I could actually picture my Canadian map and I knew where and how far she had to travel. Which was very far, by the way. Anyways, reading about the difference in Canadian landscapes was beautiful. You get to explore the peaceful shores of Prince Edward Island, the dusty and farm-like wild west of Saskatchewan. And the hustle and bustle of the cities in Ontario. I just found the change in setting and travelling very beautiful and exciting!

via giphy.com

It didn’t shy away from the bad aspects of Canadian History: While there is not a lot of emphasis, there is a very important message about the treatment of First Nation and Indigenous peoples of Canada during the time period. It mentioned their horrible treatment by the first Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. McDonald (who makes a brief appearance in the novel, which I found rather interesting). It was not all thanks and giving, it was starvation, assimilation and encampment. There was a Métis character who was an actual person in Maud’s, life that was present in the story. Although she was not in the story for long, I think it was a good thing for the author to use her to represent the struggle of the First Nations in Canada.

It had Anne flair: I think my favourite part about this novel is how the author made the connections between Maud’s life and Anne’s life. At first I was expecting Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert or Gilbert to waltz into Maud’s life. Instead I found the people who inspired those characters. The setting that inspired Green Gables. The life of an orphan-like girl who discovered kindred spirits and the scope of imagination which inspired a certain red-head I know and love!

via giphy.com

Romance: I am not going to mention a who, in case of spoilers but I will say that the romance was sweet and absolutely adorable. It made my heart squish in the good way. (It also broke a couple times) Maud may have not been to keen on finding a husband with her writing dream taking up her thoughts, yet she did have those fleeting romantic moments like most people her age.

What I Disliked

The Pacing Was Confusing: This is usually not a concerning thing if it is an action novel or mystery and you just want to know what is going on. When I consider the pace of this novel, I am talking about the actual time line in the writing. Things went a little to fast sometimes as in the characters would jump from one moment in time to another which was weeks away from the original. How do I put this? It is as if I am talking to you about a concert I am going to attend and in the next sentence, it is already the concert and I’m leaving the show. No page break or anything! I understand that this books spans almost three years, but sometimes the time jumps confused me.

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Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I thought that it was fun, engrossing and a great look into the life of a female Canadian author. Even though this novel is very fictitious and many of the events and plot lines were made for the sake of the character developments I thought it was a fantastic portrayal of Maud’s life when she was young. Fishbane did a tremendous amount of research for her novel. I’m telling you pages of pages of reading material (all listed at the end of the book) which I think she deserves a round of applause for!

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars (I just found it incredible!)

Recommend?: Even if you’re not Canadian and you know nothing about our history, Anne or our geography 😉 I still recommend you to read the coming of age story of an author. I suggest you read Anne of Green Gables first, then read this to find all those Anne connections!

via giphy.com

This novel could not be coming out at a better time. There is a new Anne of Green Gables TV series on Netflix and CBC (I watched the first episode and it looks great so far), there is always the old TV series you can watch (which I will always think its the best) and Canada is celebrating it’s 150th birthday come July, so why not celebrate all things Canadian!

This book comes out on Tuesday, April 25th! Be sure to catch it! I mean the cover is glorious and so is the story!

Happy reading!

~ Rendz

Favourites!

Greetings readers:

source: giphy.com

Today I have decided to share with you some of my Favourites about reading. Some have been with me for long periods of time or in some cases are recently favourited. Each of these books or people have impacted my life in some way, shape or form. It could vary from being extremely entertaining or inspiring or the “reason I read” kind of book or author.

There a countless books in the world, so many I have yet to read. So while this may be a list of my favourites, know that this list will only grow bigger and bigger.

Genres

#1. Fantasy

I will admit it, when it comes to reading I will always, ALWAYS go to Fantasy first. I rarely read out of fantasy (but I do so no worries my other genre loving peeps). Fantasy (like many who use this cliche) is my escape. When I look around me and see how messed up this world of ours is, I want to leave. But I can’t, so I turn to books, with other worlds, with their own set of screwed up problems, with their adventure and resolution.

I go there for magic.

Any type of magic in the book world, whether it be elemental or witchcraft/wizardry or pulling rabbits out of hats, instantly has my attention. I love to read about magical human beings (or maybe not human), who have the ability to wield forces that are unrealistic. If I had a magical power it would be all magic (don’t you dare ask me to pick and choose).

I could go more in depth and reveal my soul deep love for fantasy and write how it has allowed me to grow, learn from mistakes and have courage. But that will come another time. For now I’ll let you know that most of my points will always lead back to my desire to wield magic.

#2. Science fiction and Dystopia

#3. Historical fiction (I have a sweet spot for Sherlock Holmes spin offs even though I have yet to read a Holmes novel)

#4. Contemporary. I will be honest I am not a big contemporary reader. The stories don’t bore me (at least not usually) but I am always looking for an adventure, something different and outside of realistic element aka fantasy. I do try to read at least one contemporary a month to explore the reading realm.

#5. Paranormal/Supernatural. I hardly read from this genre because I find each story to be the same. Guy is super hot and muscular (not a complaint) and is a powerful demon/vampire/angel who is sent to kill girl who has hidden power or guy spontaneously saves girl from enemy/herself as she discovers her power. Some fight scenes, kissing scenes and cheesy romantic lines later and they all lived as happily as demons can live! But I’m a hypocrite. This is my guilty pleasure genre. Something about the predictable end and well…MAGIC always keep me hooked!

Favourite Books/Series
As I said this is the current list. With time, some titles will change many more will be added but for now I will share the current list. (Note: Eventually each or at least some of these mentions will get their own appreciation post)

#1: The Chronicles of Narnia  by C.S. Lewis

#2: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

#3: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

#4: The Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

#5: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

#6: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

#7: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

#8: Accidentally Fabulous series by Lisa Papademetriou

#9:  The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

#10: Snow Like Ashes trilogy by Sara Raasch

And many more but I will cut the list here. There will be some huge rants about some of the books listed above.

Favourite Authors

#1. Marissa Meyer

#2. Morgan Rhodes

#3. Sabaa Tahir

#4. C.S. Lewis

#5. Leigh Bardugo

#6. Sara Raasch

#7. Marie Lu

#8. Sarah J. Maas

#9. Maggie Steifvater

#10. Marie Rutkoski 

Again there are so many more!

Favourite places to get books!

#1. That one time in a blue one moon when I win a giveaway! Hello free books!

#2. The Library– I am a TPL teen

#3. Overdrive–basically the library for ebooks

#4. Chapters Indigo –my home away from home

#5. BMV stores across Toronto– Hello cheap books!

Favourite places to read!

#1. My room –curtains drawn, window open, warm blanket if needed

#2. Living room couch

#3. Porch

#4. Library

#5.  School

Bonus: Favourite Guilty Pleasure Reads!

#1. The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey

#2. The Divinicus Nex Chronicles by A&E Kirk

#3. Anything by Catherine Fisher, especially her Chronoptika quartet and Incarceron series

Well that’s it for this week my friends. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit more about moi! Feel free to comment some of your favourites and I will write to you again next week!

Happy Reading!

-Rendz