How can you not love Chicken Soup for the Soul?! Some heart-warming stories, some tear-jerkers, and proof that there are genuinely good people in the world.  5/5.

There are five different topics - suspicious deaths, false flag operations, cover-ups, political conspiracies, and espionage and covert operations. This book spans from ancient Egypt and modern-day Pakistan and everywhere in between. Each conspiracy is no more than a few pages but they're packed with interesting information. Alternative theories are also provided. This book definitely got me thinking. I really enjoyed it.     4/5.

Who lived there and what's the story behind the name? To be honest I never gave much thought as to how a house got its name, but was definitely intrigued when I saw this book. This was a very interesting read. I loved the pictures of the gorgeous old homes. It's also fascinating to see how much was brought over from "across the pond." This may be the book you didn't know you needed to read! Thank you to Netgalley and Nimbus Publishing for a chance to read this.  4/5.

When I started this book, I was depressed and I guess because I listen to a lot of April Wine, reading this book felt like a friend sharing their story with me. It kept my mind off things and I couldn't wait to pick it back up. Myles lays it all out in the open for us. He tells us about his childhood. Growing up poor, his mother dying at a young age. His early bands. How April Wine came to be, and their many lineup changes and what their songs are about. He takes us through his later years, talks about his health and his other ventures. There's nothing in here that's crude, he doesn't put anyone down. He seems like a classy, down-to-earth guy and like I said it felt like I had a friend while I was reading this book. I could gush about how I think April Wine is the best band to come out of Canada. And they started in Nova Scotia, where I'm from! So cool. Definitely check this book out if you're a big April Wine/Myles Goodwyn f...

The year was 1928. The Great War was over. America was optimistic. What better time to launch an expedition to Antarctica? Not a whole lot was known about the planet's final frontier. Almost everybody wanted to join Admiral Byrd on his journey, even the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts begged to be taken on as mess boys. Young Billy Gawronski was no different. The skinny New York City high-schooler begged his father to sign the paper to let him go, but it wasn't happening. Billy didn't want to go into the upholstery business with his father. So he did the only thing he could think of that might work - he jumped into the Hudson River and snuck aboard.  I would love to go to Antarctica. But not as much as Billy because there's no way I'd do what he did. I admired his tenacity. Nothing deterred this young man from getting what he so desperately wanted which was a place alongside Richard Byrd on his exciting and highly publicized expedition to Antarctica. This doesn't r...

If you've ever wondered if a certain animal farts, look no further. There's sea cucumbers, unicorns and lots in between. Even if an animal doesn't fart, we learn why not and what takes place instead. We also learn about their diets and why their farts smell and sound the way they do, and if their farts are a defense mechanism or not. There's a glossary, illustrations, and a surprising amount of information. A quick and interesting read. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for an ARC. 4/5.

Take a trip across Canada with Taggart and Torrens as they share their tales from the road, their observations and their best places to eat, drink and hang out in each province. They take us on a stroll down memory lane as they share their lists of top bands, tv shows and athletes from this great country. I really enjoyed reading about Jeremy's father's antics and Jonathan's embarrassing moments (sorry!) but everything in between was interesting too. I'm a proud Canadian and I always love hearing/reading about all the great people that came from here and what they've achieved. They don't even have to be famous - I loved the story about people helping others when the Fort McMurray wildfire took over. I grew up listening to Our Lady Peace and, of course, J-Roc is my favourite on Trailer Park Boys so it was cool to meet these two and find out they're just a couple of down-to-earth bahds. Great book! 5/5.

Cephlapods are interesting and often overlooked in the intelligence department. This book mainly focuses on the octopus - evolution, nervous system, behaviour, memory, their skin and how and why they change colour. There are some funny stories along the way as well as some cool pictures. I definitely enjoyed my time in Octopolis where octopuses hang out, mate, fight and eat scallops.  It was also interesting to read about how the first living things lived during the Ediacaran period and how things evolved and came to be what they are today. As the book went on I found it a bit repetitious and boring as some things did not tie in with cephalopods. Once I got a taste of octopus that was all I wanted. But still an enjoyable read overall. 4/5.

This book is packed with facts all about Canada and Canadians. The author covers a variety of subjects from geography, sports, disasters, war and heroes. What I enjoyed reading about the most - baseball, war, explorers and those who weren't afraid to lead the way and stand up for what they believed in. It was fun to read about some of the brave Canadians who helped shape this country into what it is today! Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn for a copy of this book. 4/5.

Mike Dowd and Kenny Eurell were two cops who ran the most powerful gang in New York's 75th precinct. They were drug dealers and they robbed drug dealers. They stole drugs, money and guns not only from criminals but also from the homes of people who had just called in saying their home had been broken into and they took these things from dead people's pockets. They formed an alliance with Adam Diaz who was the kingpin of a Dominican drug cartel. Mike and Ken were raking in big money and they were buying fancy cars, nice homes, and treating their wives to a life of luxury. Everyone knew what was going on but an officer could not squeal on another officer and the bosses did not want a public scandal so they turned a blind eye. But they couldn't get away with it forever. Mike, Ken and their fellow partners were eventually arrested and soon the newspaper headlines read "The biggest police scandal in New York history" Wow. The amount of stuff the cops got away with...

This book is written by world-renowned biologist and primatologist Frans de Waal. He gives us insight into the minds of animals; minds that are far more intricate and complex than we originally thought. There are lots of interesting tidbits in here based on research involving crows, dolphins, parrots, sheep, wasps, bats, whales, octopi, and chimpanzees and bonobos which are our closest relatives. Some people assume that animals are inferior to us because they can't do what we're capable of doing, but what these people don't understand is that animals know what they have to know in order to survive and that every species is smart in their own way. I really enjoyed learning more about the way animal minds work - very interesting. 4/5.

I love these Chicken Soup for the Soul books. There are 101 stories about traditions, decorating, miracles, memories, giving and family that will make you laugh, cry, find inspiration, be grateful for what you have, and add to that cozy feeling the holiday season seems to bring with it. It's nice to read about the good things in the world - people helping people whether they're family, neighbours, strangers. My absolute favourite story was My Crazy Dad - I felt so bad for the father because his teenage daughter thought he was "losing his mind" but what he did was so cute. I also loved A Gift From the Heart, and The Mean Old Man Next Door. Thank you to Mom for a great Christmas present!   5/5.

Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver shares his story of fame and fortune, drugs and alcohol, his crash and burn, and his transformation after his near-death experience. While growing up in Seattle Duff was no stranger to the music scene, but he needed to get away from the heroin that was claiming the lives of his closest friends. At the age of twenty, and only in Los Angeles a few weeks, he answered a want ad for a bass player. He met Slash and Steven Adler and the rest is history.  I enjoyed reading about Duff's life before the fame. The relationship he had with his mother was sweet. Same with the relationship he had with his dog, Chloe. It's sad that Duff's friends were dropping like flies because of drugs, but when he had to put Chloe down.. OMG the tears!!

Lots of different heart-warming Christmas stories. It's nice to read about the good in people, the traditions, the sharing, giving and celebrating with family. Thanks to mom for the Christmas present, I loved it :-)

Cotton ball diet? Really? There are lots of (crazy) fad diets out there and it's easy to get caught up in them when you want to shed those unwanted pounds, but the reality is that you have to eat right and exercise. The author does a good job of listing healthy foods and portions and how many calories we can burn during certain activities. She gives us tips on how to start our journey as well as websites that may help. It's a good book to have around the house.  I won a copy through Goodreads First Reads.

This is definitely a thought-provoking read. Scientific and religious facts, opinions with analysis, and some examples of recent discoveries are linking the two closer together.

I decided to read these essays because Appel definitely is a talented writer, but I found this torture to get through. A few essays were okay, but there wasn't one in there that made me think 'hey, I'm glad I read this book'.

Definitely an interesting read about one of the greatest shows to ever be put on television. Each chapter is divided into parts such as highlights, interesting facts, did you notice, music, title, camera angles.  

A few cute sarcastic things in there..  

Read about the lives of some ruthless robbers, devious drug barons, ingenious escape artists, unflappable fraudsters, cold-blooded killers, maverick mobsters, audacious outlaws, covert spies, and terrorist masterminds.