The Secret Life of Bees ~ Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees centres on Lily Owens, a fourteen-year-old girl living in South Carolina during the racial unrest of the early 1960s. As she tries to come to terms with her mother’s tragic death and her father’s abuse, she discovers a safe haven in the company of a family of bee-keeping women. This is a story about female empowerment, love, loss, safety and encouragement found in the most unlikely places. Generally The Secret Life of Bees is just a really nice story about women and their relationships with men and bees.

Twilight ~ Stephenie Meyer
Bella is a new student in the town of Forks on the Olympic Peninsula and along with starting at a new school and living with her Father for the first time she has teenage life to deal with. Bella then meets the gorgeous, although a little strange and pale, Edward and there are definite sparks between them. Twilight is the ultimate young love story between Bella and Edward who by the way turns out to be a vampire, so needless to say it is a complicated relationship but they grow to trust one another as they fall further in love.

New Moon ~ Stephenie Meyer
The love story between teenager Bella and Edward the 100 year old vampire continues in the second book of the Twilight series. In New Moon Edward has competition for Bella’s affections in young Jacob Black, who has secrets of his own and a century’s long blood feud erupts in the small town of Forks on the Olympic Peninsula. Another truly entertaining storyline that twists and turns as Bella is sucked into the world of ancient vampires and other monsters as well as her own insecurities.

Eclipse ~ Stephenie Meyer
The third book of the Twilight series continues with Bella caught in a love triangle between Edward, the 100 year old Vampire, and Jacob, her best friend and Werewolf. Not only does Bella have to deal with the romantic battle brewing but she also has to deal with the blood feud raging between the local tribe of Werewolves and Edward’s Vampire family. While all this is going on there are other dangers from Vampires seeking revenge, finishing high school, the prom and choosing a college too. In the end Bella needs to make a choice, a mortal life with Jacob or an immortal death with Edward. All I can say is, I hope Stephenie Meyer writes the fourth book really soon!

Breaking Dawn ~ Stephenie Meyer
The final book in the Twilight series is full of unexpected twists and turns. Do Edward and Bella finally get to spend the rest of eternity together or does Jacob and being human get in the way? Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining book of fantasy and young love.

The Host ~ Stephenie Meyer
Earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the mind. It’s a silent invasion that no one saw coming until it was too late. There are a few who fight the “souls” but are they really our enemies? Although not as creepy as I was hoping for Meyer’s (author of the Twilight series) novel delves into moral dilemmas faced by both species. The Host is like a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and a romance novel with a few unexpected surprises. A fun and entertaining read.

Late Nights on Air ~ Elizabeth Hay
Hay’s Giller Prize winning novel follows the lives of an unusual group of men and women at a radio station in 1970s Yellowknife. The characters become more interesting as you get entangled in their relationships to one another, but it’s Hay’s amazing description of the Arctic wilderness and the occasional history lessons that really held my interest. The canoe trip made the story in my opinion. Late Nights on Air is a truly wonderful Canadian story.

King of the Lost & Found ~ John Lekich
One of the funniest young teen (tween) books I’ve read in a while. If you look up “nerd” in the dictionary you will see a picture of tenth grader Raymond Dunne. Raymond faints for no reason and he also get nosebleeds and sneezes over everything. He hangs out with the Vice Principal, collects keys to various rooms in the school and runs the Lost & Found, which always seems to be in jeopardy of being shut down. What Raymond doesn’t know is that the Lost & Found holds a very important secret that is revealed when he is befriended by the mysterious, good looking Jack Alexander. King of the Lost & Found is a funny story with a message that will make you more empathetic to those who are different.

Provence Je T’aime ~ Gordon Bitney
Gordon Bitney and his wife are our guides through their summer adventures renovating their villa in the Provence region of France. It is a delightful story filled with colourful characters, cats and building a wall stone by stone. Gordon gives detailed accounts of his knowledge of the region and its food and wine that will make your mouth water and want to move to Provence too.

The Golden Compass ~ Philip Pullman
The first book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series begins in a world similar to our own but we soon learn how different it is as we follow young Lyra and her shape shifting demon Pantalaimon. Lyra begins her quest to rescue children who have been taken by the Gobblers and also begins her search for the source of the mysterious Dust. She is joined and protected by many different characters including an Armoured Bear, flying Witches and the Gyptians but soon learns that her destiny will have a larger impact on her world and beyond. A terrific start to an amazing adventure that leaves you ready for more so make sure you have the second book The Subtle Knife waiting.

The Subtle Knife ~ Philip Pullman
The second book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials (Book 1: The Golden Compass) series finds Lyra crossing over into new worlds and discovering her role in the battle between good and evil. Along the way she finds an ally in Will Parry whose destiny is tied to Lyra’s and the fate of all the known worlds. Another great adventure filled with soul-eating Specters, Angels, Witches, Demons and Scientists.

The Amber Spyglass ~ Philip Pullman
The third and final book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials (Book 1: The Golden Compass & Book 2: The Subtle Knife) continues to follow Lyra and Will as they seek to find their role in saving the World’s they travel through. They each make their own sacrifices to save the living and the dead as the war rages on and the ever important Dust continues to fly across the sky. Do Lyra and Will make the ultimate sacrifice to save each other? Can they fix the damage done by the careless men and women who came before them? A fantastic adventure trilogy.

Before I Wake ~ Robert J. Wiersema
Before I Wake is a beautifully written first novel by Victoria, BC writer Robert Wiersema. The perfect family: husband Simon, wife Karen and three year old daughter Shelly. Everything appears perfect until Sherry is struck by a hit-and-run driver and their family begins to unravel. It is a story is full of loss, redemption, forgiveness, miracles and includes a battle of wills between good and evil. I can honestly say that this novel is one of the best I have read this year.

Positively False ~ Floyd Landis
I am a huge Le Tour de France fan and I was cheering Floyd Landis on as he bounced back from bonking to win the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) in 2006. He was later accused of testing positive for performance enhancing drugs but was he guilty? Positively False follows Floyd’s career as a young cyclist, his Mennonite upbringing, riding on Lance Armstrong’s winning team, his hip replacement, the rights of athletes and his fight to clear his name. Floyd is a great cyclist and like many athletes he is arrogant, cocky and opinionated but I believe in his right to fight for his career and for the rights of all athletes.

Conceit ~ Mary Novik
Set in 17th century England Conceit is vivid with historical detail as we learn about poet and preacher John Donne and his relationship with his wife and numerous children. The novel is told by Donne’s daughter Pegge who is consumed by her love for her father and Izaak Walton, a man who loves Pegge’s older sister and fishing. Pegge is an odd child and an even odder woman who defies convention even after her marriage to the King’s tailor William Bowles. A complicated but satisfying story entwined briefly with John Donne’s poetry and sermons.

A Long Way Gone ~ Ishmael Beah
In 1993 Ishmael Beah and other children of Sierra Leone were robbed of their childhoods as rebels attacked their villages. It is hard to differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys in a war where both sides use children who have been threatened, traumatized and drugged into wielding AK-47s without remorse. Ishmael writes about his years running from the war (began at age 12) and becoming a soldier (age 13) with a detachment that is heartbreaking because you know these horrible events and acts were probably not the worst he experienced. At 15 years old suffering from drug addiction and blinding migraines Ishmael was released from the army and taken by UNICEF to be “rehabilitated” which is where he was supposed to begin a normal life but his troubles do not end and the war closed in once again. Building a new life carried its own difficulties. This is a story that I recommend for anyone over the age of 14. It will make you think differently about your life, the life of others and what you need to do to reach your goals.

The Time Traveler’s Wife ~ Audrey Niffenegger
This is the ultimate unconventional love story of Henry and Clare. Henry is born with a rare genetic disorder, which causes him to involuntarily travel through time. He meets his future wife Clare while time travelling when she is only 6 years old but they eventually meet in real time when Henry is 28 and Clare is 20. This is a great story that proves love knows no boundaries and transcends time and even death.

Dispatches from the Edge ~ Anderson Cooper
Being born into a famous family didn’t stop Anderson Cooper from making a name for himself. His memoir gives us a peek at his family history and expands on his amazing journalistic ability. Although we don’t learn much about his personal life the memoir does confirm his dedication to his job. For all Anderson’s family fame and fortune he has repeatedly put his life in danger in order to discover the truth in world tragedies including his emotional and heartfelt coverage of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, African famine and the war in Sarajevo.

The 100-Mile Diet ~ Smith & MacKinnon
“The average ingredient in a North American meal travels 1500 miles from farm to plate.” After learning this statistic Vancouverites Alisa and James decided to eat food produced within 100-miles of their home for one year. Although they mistakenly began their year of eating locally on the first day of spring (there isn’t much available locally fresh yet) they survived an odyssey of local living by creating relationships with the people and places that produced what they ate. The book is full of humour and frustration that had the ability to either make or break Alisa and James relationship. This is obviously not an easy way to live your life but by just making small changes we have the ability to support local enterprises, eat healthier and reduce our impact on the earth.

The Road ~ Cormac McCarthy
The Road is one of the best books I’ve read this year, even if it was an Oprah pick. The well written, Pulitzer Prize winning story revolves around a man and his son as they struggle to survive in a world that is dying. McCarthy not only writes about their journey with tenderness, compassion and heartbreak but also one full of hope.

Forever In Blue ~ Ann Brashares
The fourth and final book in the Summer of the Sisterhood series follows the four beautiful and talented young women Lena, Carmen, Bridget and Tibby as they grow into adulthood. They once again deal with life and love with humour and disappointment as they become independent of one another but they also realize that old friendships are important even when you go in different directions. Another fun read by Brashares which makes me hope she continues to write about these fun and vivacious women.

Bridge to Terabithia ~ Katherine Paterson
All Jess wanted was to be the fastest runner in the fifth grade and he almost was until Leslie arrived at his school. Against his better judgement Jess and Leslie became best friends and together they created the most amazing, magical, imaginary kingdom called Terabithia where they ruled as King and Queen. When tragedy strikes does Terabithia fall or does it grow stronger? I first read this book when I was 8 and 30 years later I still love it. A story for all ages, full of laughter and the occasional tear.

A Paris Moment ~ Gordon Cope
Gordon Cope and his wife Linda let us into their lives during their yearlong adventure on the Right Bank of the Seine in the historical Le Marais area of Paris. Cope writes from the heart with humour and wonder as he wanders the narrow streets of his Le Marais neighbourhood dipping into the lives of its residents, its history and their amazing culinary experiences found in the local brasseries and restaurants.

In The Company of the Courtesan ~ Sarah Dunant
An intricate and enthralling novel set in Rome and Venice in the 16th century told by Bucino, a dwarf and companion to Fiammetta, a highly sought after courtesan. Dunant has once again mixed fact with fiction to capture the decadent and debauched world of Renaissance Italy filled with colourful characters, beauty and brutality. (Also read Sarah Dunant’s first book, The Birth of Venus).

The Lost Painting ~ Jonathan Harr
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s “The Taking of Christ” was a great masterpiece of the Italian Baroque period but it was lost for 400 years. This book follows the lives of the many people who find the vague clues scattered through history to rediscover the lost Caravaggio painting. From its beginnings in Italy to its end in Ireland, the story is simply told but you are easily drawn into the intimate lives of the people and the art.

Eldest ~ Christopher Paolini
If you loved Christopher Paolini’s book Eragon you’re going to love his second book in the Inheritance Trilogy, Eldest. With the help of his friends, including elves & dwarves, Eragon & his dragon Saphira continue to fight against the evil forces of King Galbatorix’s army. Unfortunately Eragon suffers losses & is betrayed by those closest to him… Meanwhile, back at the farm, Eragon’s cousin Roran fights against unseen forces & finds a strength he never knew he possessed. Barely 21 years old, Paolini has written another captivating & exciting adventure.

Rowboat in a Hurricane ~ Julie Angus
In 2005/2006 Julie and Colin Angus rowed 10,000 km in their 7 metre rowboat across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Costa Rica through one of the worst storm seasons in recorded history. Julie not only writes about her human-powered journey, which solidified her Explorer of the Year award from National Geographic, she also gives important insight into the state of the world’s oceans. Rowboat in a Hurricane is a really great read for the adventurer in all of us.

The Fetch ~ Chris Humphreys
The first book of the Runestone Saga is an exciting adventure full of magic, shape shifting, time travel and Vikings. The adventure begins when Sky finds an old sea chest that belonged to his missing, and presumed dead, Grandfather. Inside the chest are a journal and a set of runestones, which begin the exciting trilogy.