Relaxing Reads

This month on our Relaxing Reads podcast hosts Ann, Deb and Simone discuss The Most Precious Substance On Earth by Shashi Bhat. A humorous coming-of-age novel and a sharp-edged look at how silence can shape a life. Nina, a bright, hilarious, and sensitive 14-year-old, doesn’t say anything when her best friend begins to pull away, or when her crush on her English teacher intensifies. She doesn’t sa...

This month on our Relaxing Reads podcast hosts Ann, Deb and Simone discuss Dial A for Aunties by author Jesse Q. Sutanto - a super funny and quirky novel that is part thriller, part rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture.  When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more...

The Relaxing Reads podcast hosted by Ann, Deb and Simone. This month they read The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. A feel-good, holiday-themed romantic comedy about identical twins who switch lives in the days leading up to Christmas It’s like Gilmore Girls meets the Parent Trap meets Cake Wars. We really enjoyed this one and were able to have Book authors Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley join us for...

Cathrin Bradbury's life imploded in the space of a few months. Her beloved parents died, her marriage limped to an end after twenty-five years, her heavily mortgaged house turned against her, and a promising new romance ended in crushing disappointment. But somewhere in that year, a new path, three or four, began to open up. It’s a lot to go through, but there is always a Bright Side and Cathrin j...

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.  This was a page turner. We had a ton of questions – especially about the ending for Ashley who joins us during our chat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love. Poppy and Alex have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have...

In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle—once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar—chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. Simone read this book in two days! It’s just such an eye-opener and inspirational story. Highly recommend! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

A novel of orphans and widows, terror and hope, and the relationships that hold us together when things fall apart. This took us a little time to get into, but it did not disappoint especially the plot twist in the end.  This book also looks at a part of a very interesting piece of history in Canada when it comes to home children ad paupers’ auctions. Beth also joins us to chat! See omnystudio.com...

What if you could see yourself as others see you? Astra is a beguiling debut novel that reveals the different faces of one woman, as seen through the eyes of ten people over a lifetime.  This was a nice easy read. We enjoyed how the chapters were laid out and how it was told over time.  Astra also joins us to answer our questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio...

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives will change forever. Wow what a party – this book had a lot of family drama and a party we wish we could have attended.  We laughed a lot during our chat – this book was good! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Hosts Deb, Ann & Simone discuss Lauren Weisberger's "Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty". From the bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and When Life Gives You Lululemons comes a highly entertaining, sharply observed novel about sisters, their perfect lives . . . and their perfect lies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...