The Diary of Petr Ginz: 1941 - 1942 edited by Chava Pressburger

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press - An Imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc.
Distributed by Publishers Group Canada

This diary is an account of Petr Ginz's life as a 14 year old boy in the time of the Holocaust. It is written in a wonderfully - and often heartbreaking - open and frank style that couldn't possibly fail to touch the reader deeply.

The events, which led to the discovery of this diary, are almost as fascinating as the book itself. The following is taken from the back of the book:

In 2003, before setting out on the ill-fated Columbia space shuttle, Ilan Ramon - the first-ever Israeli astronaut and a son of Auschwitz survivors - sought to bring something on his voyage to commemorate the Holocaust. At the suggestion of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, he took Moon Landscape, a small drawing made in 1942 by a Prague teenager, Petr Ginz who died in Auschwitz.

After the shuttle's tragic explosion on February 1, 2003 - what would have been Ginz's seventy-fifth birthday - news reports of the teenage prodigy and his painting reached Prague, where a man made a startling discovery: he was in possession of Ginz's wartime diary, which had been hidden away in his attic for decades. Soon thereafter, the diary made its way to Petr's sister, Chava Pressburger, who instantly recognized her brother's handwriting and his playful but precociously perceptive voice in its pages. The diary has since been published throughout Europe, where it has moved thousands of readers and become an international best seller.

I have read many books on this subject and as tragic and devastating as many of those books are, few are written from the eyes of a child and I think for me it was the backdrop of hatred, brutality and despair mixed with such innocence, hope, and playfulness that made this one of the most touching accounts I have read.

I liked that the book is sprinkled throughout with some of Petr Ginz's artwork and the drawings are just incredible. It's a great pity that he died so young, as I could see from the artwork, and from his writing, that he had a great deal to offer the world. I think the thing that struck me most, was the fact that regardless of how tough life became, he was dedicated to learning and exploring culture. He comes across as so much older than his actual years. His knowledge of music and authors is great and it is clear in the entries where he discusses school, that he is probably the brightest student in the class, if not the whole school.

This was a fantastic book and I loved that Petr's sister added notes throughout to explain the background a little on some days, and shares extra information about this wonderful boy.

The Diary of Petr Ginz is one of my favourite reads of the year. I can't imagine anyone reading this book and not being incredibly moved by it.

Signspotting 2: More Absurd & Amusing Signs From Around the World compiled by Doug Lansky

Published by Lonely Planet Publications.
Distributed by Raincoast Books

Signspotting 2 is a fun little book filled with amusing signs from around the world. The reader is treated to warnings such as 'Take care, fall into water carefully', 'If you fall into the water you will be boiled', and 'Be aware of invisibility'. Then we have funny place names and fun signs like 'Tattoos for lease' and 'Hazyview eye care', plus so much more.

I loved this book. I didn't really think about funny signs too much until I went for a drive with my husband one day and saw a great new approach for getting people to attend church. The sign on the side of the building read "Having problems sleeping? Come to our sunday morning sermon" or something along those lines. It tickled me something fierce and I paid more attention to signs after that but it's rare to see the really good ones.

Now you don't have to go anywhere to find them. You can discover them all from the comfort of your living room as you explore this little book and all it's gems. I chuckled out loud so much and my husband liked many of the signs too. It's a great way to kill an hour or so and even more fun when read with friends.

Visit the Signspotting site for even more laughs!

Author's Site: http://www.douglansky.com/
Signspotting site: http://www.signspotting.com/

Training People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Human by Tess of Helena with Brian Kahn. Photographs by Gretchen Lemaistre

Published by Chronicle Books
Distributed by Raincoast Books

This is a training book with a difference. It's written for dogs, by a dog and discusses how to bring out the best in their human companions. Subjects covered in this book are: How to Choose a Human, Male Female or Both?, Basic Training, Discipline, Getting the Food You Want, Advanced Training, The Human Pup, and When They Get Old. Each subject is accompanied by many photographs to make it more simple to follow the techniques included.

This book is by far my favourite training book ever. I couldn't help but laugh out loud while reading it and I know I must have been constantly grinning. It reminded me of books I read as a child by Sheila Hocken (Emma's Story, Emma and I, Emma VIP - I so need to track these down and buy them again!) in which the books are written in the hand of Emma, a puppy learning to be a guide dog. Though it has been twenty years since I read those books, I still remember Emma's first experience with snow. It still makes me smile.

In this book, Tess provides a number of techniques designed to help dogs around the world with the training of their humans. A section that made me laugh the most I think, was the section on dealing with cats who share the household. As a pet lover who shares our home with both a dog, and cats, I found that highly amusing.

A great read that makes it fun to learn about life with dogs. I learned so much more from this than I did reading many other pet training books and it's certainly easier to remember the content. Who said pet training can't be fun?

Photographer's site: http://www.gretchenlemaistre.com/

Forsaken by Lana Slezic

Published by House of Anansi Press

Lana Slezic has put together a perfect blend of photography and words to portray life in Afghanistan. In particular, life as a woman in Afghanistan. In 2004, Lana Slezic visited Afghanistan for a 6 week assignment which ended up becoming a two-year stay. Over those 2 years she collected a number of images and personal accounts which she presents in this book - Forsaken.

I fell in love with the cover on this book. The image itself presents a breathtaking mix of the past, the present, elegance, mystery, boldness, hope, and sorrow all in a single image. Rarely has photography ever moved me on such a level and I was really not prepared for the contents of this amazing, must-have book.

Within the pages, Lana Slezic shares a vast number of images which capture life at a basic level. There is nothing sugar-coated in this book. It's an honest and open look at Afghanistan women and their way of life and it will give you much to think about.

Along with the many images, there are different accounts of the author's experiences with a number of women. These accounts cover a wide spectrum as they are shocking, crushing, uplifting, saddening, hopeful, peaceful, and dramatic all at once.

This is one of those books which will change the way you look at life. While I admit that I may be a tad biased as I *love* learning about other cultures, I find it hard it imagine anyone reading this book and not loving it as much as I did.

I would love to see further books of this style in the future.

Author's website: http://www.lanaslezic.com/ (Please do check this out. Many of the images found in the book can be seen here by selecting the Afghanistan menu. If you have this book you will still love the site as there are extra Afghanistan images there along with photography covering other subjects.)

Bagel's Lucky Hat by Hector Mumbly: Illustrated by Dave Cooper

Published by Chronicle Books
Distributed by Raincoast Books

Hector Mumbly brings us an amusing little tale featuring a dog named Bagel, and his friend - a cat named Becky. Bagel gets frantic when he realises he has lost his lucky hat. Becky calms him and asks him to think back to when he remembered wearing it last, but soon wonders what she started. Bagel recounts his day, including his visit with laughing fishes, a helpful flock of birds, a strange and mysterious laboratory, and so much more. Becky, needless to say, is quite unimpressed and who wouldn't be with such a tall tale? Becky starts to give Bagel a lecture on honesty but is interrupted by unexpected and unusual guests.

This book is a laugh a minute. It's for ages 4-8 but even at my age it was a fun and playful read. I can imagine it would make a great bedtime book as it isn't too long with just 40 pages which are wonderfully illustrated by Dave Cooper. The illustrations match the story's whimsical nature perfectly.

A great choice that begs to be read again, and again...

Illustrator's website: http://www.davegraphics.com/ (site is not suitable for children)

Riding Between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential Through the Way of the Horse by Linda Kohanov

Published by New World Library

Linda Kohanov brings us the sequel to her brilliant book "The Tao of Equus". In Riding Between the Worlds, she continues her journey of discovery. and places the focus more on the Equine Facilitated Therapy that was discussed in the first book. She provides still more examples of what can happen when you place a human and a horse together, and provides great insight into how and why it happens.

Her theories are amazing and extremely thought provoking. The reader can't help but look at horses (and indeed, other animals too) with a heightened awareness. This, along with the first title in the series, is a book that will alter your perceptions, if not your life.

I loved the first book and was quite certain the second book couldn't live up to the same standard. I am happy to say I was proven wrong. This book is every bit as attention grabbing as the first, if not more so. The experiences that people went through as they tried Equine Facilitated Therapy are intense, moving, and often heartbreaking. The reader can't help but be pulled deeply into the content that Linda provides.

I like that many of the theories push the limits that we place on ourselves. I like that she coaxes the reader and encourages them to think past those same limits and if not accept her theories, at least accept the possibility of them. It's one of those books that causes you to feel so much smarter, just for reading it.

Again, Linda Kohanov is definitely one of my favourite author's now. Her writing in both books was simply wonderful and she has a gift for reaching through the pages of the book and touching the reader in a way that is rare, and memorable.

You have to read these books.

Author's website: http://www.taoofequus.com/

The Tao of Equus: A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation Through the Way of the Horse by Linda Kohanov

Published by New World Library

Linda Kohanov shares her personal experiences with equine-facilitated therapy and horses in general while mixing them with a wonderful blend of philosophy, mythology and psychology. It all begins with a beautiful black horse named Rasa with whom Linda experiences a spirutual awakening.

What follows is a wild, moving, and intense journey as Linda witnesses the healing effect that horses can have on us when we build the horse-human bond, and shares some of these accounts with the reader.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. While my sister-in-law is crazy about horses, I have never had experience with these beautiful, and often intimidating creatures. I sure didn't expect to reach the last page and find myself with a new respect for horses and those who work with them.

This book tugs at the heartstrings often as you work your way through it's pages. Whether it's the story of Linda and the many horses in her life, or the stories of many people who try equine-facilitated therapy and have their lives forever changed in the most miraculous of ways, this book will capture your heart and give you much food for thought. It did for me at least.

When Linda delves into some of the training methods used with horses, it's inspiring to read her own experiences with that. It's equally devastating to read about the way horses are often taught using methods that teach the horse to fear, and mistreated in other ways too.

This is a great book to read. It's a real eye-opener and regardless of whether you love horses or not when you begin this book, I would be surprised if you didn't love them by the time you reach the last page.

Linda Kohanov has fast become one of my favourite authors. Her writing style is wonderfully fluid and she holds nothing back from the reader. Her raw passion and emotion just leaps off the page. I couldn't wait to read the follow-up book and that will be reviewed next!

Author's website: http://www.taoofequus.com/

The Girls Who Saw Everything by Sean Dixon

Published by Coach House Books.

Anna and Dumuzi are hoping to spend a quiet afternoon making love in a warehouse, that is if they can stop arguing long enough to do so. Their debate about sex for money is disrupted when the ceiling gives and someone falls through. Runner (unusual name, which matches the unusual character perfectly) announces that she is a part of the Lacuna Cabal book club who meet on the fifth floor and needs to return as she hopes to provide the idea for their next book choice.

The members of the group are all extremely different and things often seem to get a little heated. Moreso when Runner and her brother Neil bring an unusual offering to the group in the form of ten Gilgamesh stones. What follows from there is a gripping tale which holds the reader's attention easily. The private stories of each character come to light as we share a fantastic journey with them. A journey which the characters, and readers alike, will find it hard to forget.

I fell in love with the cover on this book. It seemed so simple and exquisite and grabbed my attention from the start. I had no idea about the story within the pages but once I began to read, it was one of those books which just begs the reader to ignore the world around them until the very last page. I was interested in the characters a great deal. Thanks to the writing style of the author, the characters are always a wonderful, yet very different mix. They compliment each other perfectly and whatever else they may be, they are always colourful and adept at drawing the reader deeper into the mystery.

This is probably one of my favourite books though admittedly, it did take me a chapter or two to adjust to the footnotes which were an irritation at first, as I really wanted to just carry on reading the story without that distraction. The notes are really quite comical at times though and they grew on me. It's an unpredictable read filled with so much energy, strong emotion, and heartfelt tenderness.

A great book to curl up with as the evenings grow colder.

Author's website: http://lacunacabal.blogspot.com/

The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

Published by Simon & Schuster

In the Society of S, the author - Susan Hubbard - brings the reader a gripping and intriguing coming-of-age story. The main character, Ariella Montero is a twelve year old with much on her mind. She has been raised and home schooled by her father in Saratoga Springs, New York and as a result she has very little experience in the real world. The only other people she has regular contact with are her father's assistant Dennis, and the cook - Mrs. McG.

Ariella is a very bright girl and as she gets older, she realises that not all is what it seems to be in her family. She has so many questions about her mother but all anyone will tell her is that her mother disappeared soon after the birth. When Mrs. McG notices that Ariella seems to be struggling with something, she invites her to come home with her and meet her children, two of which are Michael and Kathleen. Ariella soon feels like she has found a second family and love is blossoming between Ari and Michael. Sadly, tragedy strikes in the form of murder and Ari finds herself with still more questions and the only way to get the answers she seeks, is to find her mother.

This book was actually pretty surprising. Mention vampire books and I can pretty well guarantee that you think of gothic backgrounds, older times, hypnotic scenes, neck biting, fang wearing people who don't come out until dark. Susan Hubbard totally ignores that vampire image and instead creates an updated version. Vampires who can be out in daylight and who have other options when it comes to feeding.

The characters are all well written. Ariella is especially wonderful, for me at least, as we get to see her develop so much when she leaves her sheltered life and bravely searches for answers that she knows may well end life as she knows it. The other characters are equally well written though I didn't get quite as attached to them, the way I did with Ariella. The writing is great, the story draws the reader in and regardless of how much information the author shares, she leaves the reader begging for more. The attention to detail was pleasing to me too. The author manages to share a wealth of detail without bogging the reader down with it.

I am definitely with the countless others who are waiting for a sequel. Great book, a must for any book lover.

Author's website: http://www.susanhubbard.com/