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Tag Archives: Ami McKay


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Reeder’s Holiday Book Buying Guide

via Merriment Design

Christmas shopping can get pretty overwhelming, that’s why this year I made a list of who was getting what before I even stepped foot in a mall. In an attempt to help you with your Christmas shopping list, I thought it might be fun to come up with a list of books that I’ve enjoyed over the year 2011 and these are books that I think will make the perfect gift for someone on your list. Please keep in mind there was a huge selection of books to choose from this year and these are just 10 of my favorites. I can ensure you that with all the many wonderful books that came out this year, your sure to find the perfect selection for anyone when you enter your nearest bookstore.

So you want to buy a gift for your DAD that isn’t a tie or a pair of socks:

Why not pick up a copy of Man Booker Prize Winner, Julian Barnes and his triumphant novel, “The Sense of an Ending“.

Tony has always been the kind of man that is content to let life happen, however, when reflecting on his friendship with childhood friend, Adrian he’s forced to reevaluate the life he’s created and the value of time becomes a real essence. With a total of 160 pages, your Dad will be swept up into a story that is gripping and moving… It’s also way better than a pair of socks!

You want to pick up a book for your MOM that makes her stand out in a crowd:

Then you have to get her a copy of the much anticipated Ami McKay book, “The Virgin Cure“. Ami hits it out of the park with her second book about a young girl named Moth who’s forced to live in a Bowery.

Another character that’s as gripping as Moth, is the voice of Dr. Sadie, a character modeled after Ami McKay’s great grandmother. Filled with strong and independent females, your Mom will love this gripping and outstanding novel.

Are you stumped when it comes to shopping for your BROTHER:

No need to stress, just pick him up the critically acclaimed novel “The Sisters Brother“, written by Patrick DeWitt. He might not think he’s into western stories, but he’ll retract that statement after being 15 pages into DeWitt’s award winning book.

People fear the Sisters brothers, their reputation has preceded them and they are notorious for killing others in their tracks. On a mission to kill, we set off with these two very different brothers on a trek like no other. This is the kind of book that you don’t think you’ll enjoy, but end up preaching to everyone about and it’s a sure bet when it comes to your sibling!

You want to get your SISTER a gift that will have her squealing as soon as she rips off the wrapping paper:

The book that everyone wanted to read this fall was Mindy Kaling’s “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me” and everyone wanted to read it for good reason. It’s hilarious!

Filled with essays that will have your sis laughing/snorting at the Christmas dinner table, Kaling discusses  a range of topics such as: Her feelings about John Mellencamp, how to achieve the right amount of fame and how portraying Ben Affleck and Matt Damon helped her get recognized by Hollywood. This is just scratching the surface and I can ensure your sister will adore this book!

You want to get your BEST FRIEND a book that will show them just how much you value your friendship:

You’ll have to wait until December 20th to pick up this book for your BFF, but I can ensure you that it’ll be worth the holiday lineups when she reads Rachel Bertsche’s fabulous memoir, “MWF Seeking BFF”.

Friendships that you value and work on are something each of us treasure and after moving to a new city with her Husband, Bertsche’s on the hunt to find BFF’s like the one’s she had in NYC. Her venture turns into a yearlong search that uses unconventional methods to find a friend that you can call on Sunday morning to grab a cup of coffee. Your BFF will love this memoir showcasing the importance of friendship!

If you have a friend that’s an outstanding BAKER and you want to give them something sweet in book form:

Look no further, because Darien Gee’s beautiful novel “Friendship Bread” is the story of women and friendship intertwined with a yummy recipe.

Sometimes life gets hectic and we lose sight of the important things. Darien Gee helps to showcase the fact that one should never underestimate the power of baked goods. Your baking friends will love this adorable and heart-warming novel.

Want to get your MUSIC LOVING friends a little something special:

Well then be sure to get a copy of Jann Arden’s gripping memoir, “Falling Backwards“.

The best thing about this memoir is the fact that Jann Arden isn’t afraid to go there, it’s vulnerable, touching and shares her story about how she became the woman the artist she is today.

Her truthfulness and hilarity are infused on each page and this book will become an instant staple in your friends music collection.

You need to buy a gift for a WINE LOVER, but you want to get them something other than wine:

Wine lovers might know the difference between a good and bad glass of wine, but in Natalie MacLean’s “Unquenchable” she’s set out to help individuals find quality wine at bargain prices. Natalie MacLean made it her mission to travel and find the best wines for food pairing and how to obtain quality wine for reasonable prices, not an easy fete.

Picking up this lovely/helpful book will make your wine loving friends thank you over and over again… and hopefully get invited over for a yummy glass.

So you have to buy a book for a TEENAGER and you don’t know where to start:

There was a lot of great young adult fiction this year, but a sure fire way to please a teenager is to hand them a copy of Meg Rosoff’s “There is No Dog“.

Envision for one moment that God, the maker of all things is a 19 year teenage boy named Bob. At 19 years old, Bob is interested in all things girls. The problem that lies within this structure is the fact that all the time he spends on girls, takes away his concentration about the world crisis’ that continue to spiral out of control. Watching “Bob”/God try to “fix” things makes for a fabulous read!

Want to get your PET LOVING friends something that will either make them laugh or give them inspiration:

Let’s hope  that Mike Bender & Doug Chernack’s, “Awkward Family Pet Photos” doesn’t inspire a bizarre photo shoot!

I’m positive this is the kind of book that will end up on your animal loving friends coffee table for all to see… it’s that funny. You’ll see black and white stills featuring an owner and a dog, babies and dogs sharing food bowls and my personal favorite the man that brought his cat to meet the Easter bunny!

Whether you pick up one of the books listed above or you pick up another great book, sharing the power of words is always a gift!

~Happy Reading


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Review: The Virgin Cure – Ami McKay

Like many of you, I’ve been waiting two years for Ami McKay’s newest book, “The Virgin Cure” and I gotta say, it was well worth the wait! It isn’t a secret that I’m a fan of Ami’s, I’ve been an advocate since her first book ”The Birth House” simply because she’s got a real talent when it comes to her art.

Set against a 1871 Lower Manhattan backdrop, we’re first introduced to a young female physician by the name of Dr. Sadie who sets the stage to this charming historical fiction book. She has written a note to the reader that reads,

In the pages that follow, you will find her story, told in her own words, along with occasional notes from my hand.

In true Ami McKay form, the “occasional notes” are sidebars filled with little tidbits of information and beautiful diagrams. The character Dr. Sadie was based on Ami McKay’s great great grandmother, Dr. Sarah Fonda Mackintosh. She was one of the first graduates of The Women’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children.

Moth is a resilient little girl who, at the ripe age of 12 yearns for a simple hug from her Mother (who’s unwilling to provide one). She’s growing up in the slums of New York City where people expect the worst from you the second you’re old enough to stand. Her Mother works as a Gypsy Fortune Teller and many in the town thinks she’s crazy, in relation to how she behaved when Moth’s Father ran off with another woman in town. Needless to say, they don’t have two nickles to rub together. So when Moth’s Mother gets the opportunity to sell her daughter as a servant to a woman by the name of Mrs. Wentworth, she strikes while the iron’s hot and sells her daughter for a small amount of coins.

Using her “street sense”, Moth spends endless hours looking after every need Mrs. Wentworth requests, bathing, clothing, feeding, etc… Hurt and betrayed from her Mother she composes a letter to her Mother that is likely never sent, it reads,

Dearest Mama,
I am doing my best to please Mrs. Wentworth.
I hope my wage proves to be enough.
Did you know I was to be a lady’s maid?
It’s better than serving in teh scullery, but more
difficult than you can imagine.
I have much to learn.

I miss you.
I miss hearing my name.
Your daughter,
Moth

There is only so much a young girl can take after being treated much worse than your average maid and Moth has to figure out a way to make it in the world with no money and the clothes on her back. She winds up in a completely different universe when she walks into the doors of Miss Everett’s; a brothel known as ‘The Infant School’. Born with ‘Black Dutch’ characteristics, Miss Everett ignores Dr. Sadie’s suggestion that Moth looks too young and sees nothing but dollar signs when she takes Moth under her wing to become a ‘near whore’.

Moth, of course is willing to do whatever it takes to make friends and have a regular meal placed in front of her every day, but at what cost? We enter a world with this young girl, who is growing up in a world that brings true meaning to the term, ‘survival of the fittest’. Ami McKay has created yet another story that leaves you wanting more. She has the ability to create characters that leave a lasting impression on you. I read this book in one sitting in the Porter lounge and on the first leg of my plane ride home to a wedding in August and I’ve been pushing the book on friends and family ever since, because McKay has written a book that deserves a full afternoon of reading.

There is also a really fabulous book trailer attached to this book as well that is worth checking out:


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Fall Anticipation: Ami McKay’s “The Virgin Cure”

It may appear that I haven’t been reading, but you’ll be happy to know that I’ve been reading up a storm, but they’re all advance reading copies so I don’t want to spoil the excitement leading up to their fall release schedule. In the mean time I didn’t want to neglect my lovely readers who always leave such sweet comments and always make me smile, so I’ve decided to share my excitement about one fall title that I’ve been waiting for with bated breath for quite some time.

Read the book description here!

I’m talking about Ami McKay’s “The Virgin Cure”. I think that the amount of talent that comes out of Ami’s pen (or keyboard) is endless and I think her first book “The Birth House” should be a staple on every bookshelf!

The cover and description of “The Virgin Cure” was just recently released and I’m so excited! I don’t want to wish away my summer, because I am enjoying this lovely Toronto weather, but HURRY UP October 25th!!!

Ami McKay just recently updated her website where she blogs regularly, be sure to check it out as well! :)


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Reading Wrap Up – January

Can you believe that a month ago we were all ringing in the new year with champagne and in my case a sing-a-long to Fat Joe!?? Now 34 days later, we’re well into 2011 and hopefully all keeping those resolutions we vowed we’d stick to this time… right? RIGHT!?

This month was a big reading month for me, for no particular reason other than the fact that it’s blistering cold in Toronto and I’ve been spending many nights/weekends at home wrapped in my snuggie, drinking boatloads of coffee and reading copious amounts of books.  

I started off the year by reading one of the CBC’s Canada Reads nominees, Carol Shield’s, ”Unless” – which was absolutely fabulous and was everything I expected out of Carol Shields. Then I took a completely different direction and read Russell Peter’s autobiography, “Call me Russell” which was much more heart warming than I expected. Then I picked up Ami McKay’s novel, “The Birth House” for the second time and I fell in love all over again. I rounded out my Canada Reads 2011 reading by reading Jeff Lemire’s fabulous graphic novel, “Essex County“, which was filled with a great Canadian feel and a whole lot of heart. Next up was “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner which isn’t a book I’d normally pick up, but I’m so glad I did! It was filled with suspense and mystery and I couldn’t put it down! Another book I couldn’t put down was Nick Crowe’s “A Cold Night for Alligators“, like “The Maze Runner”, it was filled with suspense and mystery. It’s always a plus when you find authors that have a real knack for keeping you on the edge of your seat. I then felt it was time for a couple of biographies, so I picked up the loveable and talented Kat Von D and her new book, “The Tattoo Chronicles” where she provided an insider look into her personal life and her tattoo experiences. I rounded out my great reading month with a fabulous memoir “Your Voice in my Head“ written by Emma Forrest about her experiences with depression.

There was nothing depressing about the month of January and I’m hoping that my reading streak keeps up throughout the month of February. Since we received a huge amount of snow overnight, it doesn’t look like I’ll be spending too much time outdoors anytime soon.

I hope you had a great January reading month too! :)

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