Curious Endeavourances - Get Curious!

So if you hadn't heard by now, I am part of a book club that meets monthly to discuss all of our curious findings. I did/do have a small blurb of it on my Books link, but since we began posting our online hangouts live, I figured why not post them all in one place here? What possible other purpose could this website serve if not to publicly ridicule me? 


All of the information about our book club, as well as access to membership and even staring in one of these videos yourself, can be found on our GoodReads page here. If you are super psyched about hearing other people's opinions about books, read about them on the Curious Endeavouraces blog here. And if you just really can't get enough of me and what I think about books, you can read all of my reviews of everything I read here. Or you can skip the readings and just watch the videos below! 


Here's hoping I keep this updated!
August 19, 2013

Season Finale!

Last Call Awards:
"Most Satisfying Ending" - The Book Thief
"Most Recommendable Book" - The Book Thief
"Best Pick of 2014" - Sometimes the Magic Works

December 2014 - The Winter Palace 
by Eva Stachniak
Literary Award: "Stop and Go" 
Literary Award: "What's in a Name"
Literary Award: "Praying is the New Dragon-Snaking"
Literary Award: "Are We There Yet?" 
A young Polish girl finds herself in the care of the great Empress of Russia. Trying to better herself as her mother wanted, Varvara finds a niche that makes her more valuable to those in power: a spy in the royal court. But times are changing and Empress Elizabeth is aging, on top of that, her most eligible heir is completely incompetent. Varvara needs to secure her future as well as the future of all of Russia, but what will it cost to keep her in favour?
Literary Award: "I'm Not Alone"
Author Award: "Keeping It Real"
Author Award: "The Velvet Curtain"

November 2014 -
Sometimes the Magic Works
by Terry Brooks

An honest an personal look at one author's journey, balancing life and art, and ups and downs, and a many words of inspiration for aspiring writers everywhere!
Literary Award: "The Long Trek"
Literary Award: "The Worst Way To Go" (p. 292-293) 
Literary Award: "Best Supporting Vampire" - Henry Sturges
Author Award: "Fact Over Fiction"

October 2014 - 
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
by Seth Grahame-Smith

Author Seth Grahame-Smith puts himself at the helm of his own story, being the sole person in possession of former President Lincoln's secret journal. Blending historical accounts with Lincoln's own words, our author pieces together the forgotten history of vampires ruling the old south, and the would-be-president who is determined to kill them all. 

Why we change perspectives for dramatic effect in a fantasy-biography story: no idea.

Be warned, dear readers, it is nothing like the movie!
Literary Award: "Creative Car Games"
Literary Award: "Best Reason To Not Bring A Girl Home"
Literary Award: "Twelve-hundred Pairs of Eyes"
Author Award: "The Zinger King"

September 2014 -
Paper Towns
by John Green

Soon-to-be high school grad, Q, has spent his whole life in awe of his former childhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman. For some reason, after all of these years of not being friends, Margo has recruited him into a night of shenanigan's that takes them all over Orlando. Just when Q thinks that she's starting to let him in again, Margo disappears. Realizing that he may be the only person who sees that her exciting public life is actually a very lonely and detached one, Q makes it his mission to save Margo from herself.

Paper Towns deals with the typical teenager coming-of-age journey: new beginnings, love, friendship, sex, school, popularity, and figuring out who you are and who you want to become. All of this is wrapped up with some clever wit and wonderfully funny quips between characters.
Literary Award: "The Power of Books"
Author Award: "The Weaver of Tales"

August 2014 -
The Apprentice's Masterpiece
by Melanie Little


This poetic piece of historical fiction follows the lives of two young men living in an unforgiving world. The Spanish Inquisition turned neighbour against neighbour, preaching fear, and schooling children in images of blood and torture. Ramon's family followed the rules. Convert now and end your Jewish heresy. So they obeyed willingly. But a New Christian is not as pure as an Old Christian, and the Spanish monarchy dreams of a pure Spain. A family that should be proud of their heritage, of their family legacy of scribing beautiful manuscripts, are reduced to nearly nothing. The only one in worse condition is Amir, the Muslim boy forced into slavery. And yet, despite how lowly Amir is, or should be, Ramon cannot help but feel jealousy. "He knows who he is."

It's a light read, it's an easy read, and yet it will sicken you when you remember that it is not just a story. So many chapters of human history are written in hatred and blood. This is but a brief glance at one such chapter.
Literary Award: "Where is my nail file?" - Christina
Literary Award: "The Bronze-Digger" - Nurse Barbara 

July 2014 -
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules
by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

A sweet unexpected comedy of Martha, an elderly pensioner trapped inside of a retirement home that values profit over care. Having seen a documentary on how much care and freedom criminals get while in prison, Martha and her old choir friends develop plot after plot to make their final years worth-while. Knowing that prison is a step up from where they currently are, a little robbery doesn't harm anyone, in fact, it turns out that even a large robbery doesn't hurt very many either. Martha and her friends become the pensioners version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men... at least that's the plan.

It is a unique adventure of foiled plans and remarkable coincidences that lead you to never view the elderly in quite the same way again. Full points for originality, though as we discuss in this session, something in the development leaves us wanting. 
Literary Award: "Miss Feisty Pants" - Danika 
Literary Award: "The Seagull Award" - Maddox 
Literary Award: "Bathroom Award"

June 2014 - The Darkest Night
by Gena Showalter

A sensual adventure where a young woman with a strange gift finds herself in the clutches of a group of men who should exist only in myth. When it was the Gods vs. the Titans in the time of the ancient Greeks, a group of godly warriors opened a box they shouldn't have touched, thereby releasing evil into the world and cursing these warriors to be the bodily hosts of the demons they unleashed. 

This is not a book for those seeking strong plots or character development, or even page after page of thoroughly described sex. If you're into passionate, flesh-tearing pining for sex that may or may not ever happen, then you're in the right place. Just don't forget to brush your teeth...
Literary Award: "The Worst Idea Ever!" - Tom & Isabel Sherbourne
Literary Award: "And I Thought I Had Problems"
Literary Award: "The World's Most Dedicated Man" - Tom Sherbourne
Author Award: "Where's the popcorn?" Cinematographic Literature Award 

May 2014 -
The Light Between Oceans
by M.L. Stedman

Following the intertwining lives of unsuspecting post WWI Australians, "The Light Between Oceans" puts the old adage of "No man is an island" to the test, even from his - or her - own past. Every decision changes a life, and sometimes there is no "right" choice. You will fall in love with the dedicated war veteran Tom Sherbourne as he tries to move forward from his troubled past with love and loyalty, and try to reason with his wife as she faces her troubles one after another. This novel is filled with powerful emotions and the solutions people come up with when painful voids need filling. Few people get a truly happy ending, but Tom Sherbourne shows us that as long as you've managed a few happy moments before the end, you've done some good with your life.
Literary Award: "Safe Sex Award"
Literary Award: "2+2=2"

April 2014 -
Unravel by Calia Read

Naomi Carradine is struggling with the voices in her head, trying to grapple with reality, after all, no one believes her that her friends need serious help. In this twisted drama that follows a young woman as she tries to get her story straight while facing time in a psychiatric rehabilitation ward, you will experience her intense sexual highs and the life-changing traumas of witnessing her best friend submitting to her rapist and discovering the truth about years of childhood abuse. 

This story is not for the faint of heart, it is unsettling, and in my opinion, even more so because of how badly it wants to be a romance novel that it interrupts the stomach-turning, emotionally exhausting sexual abuse storyline to dive into spontaneous passionate sex. The concept of the drama is laudable, the execution of the narrative, layering these opposing sexual encounters far to closely together, made it difficult for me to let go, and I held the novel at a distance throughout my reading of it. 
Author Award: "Trained in the Art of the Hallmark Made-for-TV special"
Literary Award: Annie - "Dazzling Cynical Wit"
Literary Award: "Never Been So Hungry While Reading" 

March 2014 -
How to Eat a Cupcake
by Meg Donohue

A cute chick-flick drama of two former best-friends who have to dig through the past and face the truth as they embark on a golden business opportunity of opening a cupcakery. 

It's not a masterpiece, but it's harmless feel-good fluff for those staycations.
Curious Awards Won:
Literary Award: "Dragon-Snaking"
Literary Award: ""I Read my Thesaurus Everyday Award"
Literary Award: "Most Generations Nanny'd Award" - Nanny
Literary Award: "Alliteration Over Sense Award" - Chistery
Author Award: "Loose Ends Are My Friends Award"

February 2014 -
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
by Gregory Maguire

As the title suggests, this is the behind the scenes story of the classic villain, the Wicked Witch of the West from the beloved classic tale The Wizard of Oz. Except in this version we discover that the Wizard has little reason to be so beloved and that the witch, Elphaba, didn't start out as a witch at all. An interesting concept, and the story itself has moments of pure brilliance... followed by moments of "is it over yet?" I recommend the novel just to say that you read it, but then see the musical Wicked for the story of Elphaba that will change your outlook on Oz forever!
Curious Awards Won:
Literary Award: "Most Empathetic Portrayal of Death"
Literary Award: "The Anti-River Song Award" - Death
Literary Award: "Tough Love Award" -Rosa Huberman
Literary Award: "Father of the Year" - Hans Huberman 
Author Award: "Characters Worth Weeping For"

January 2014 -
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

A YA historical fiction of an orphaned girl living in Germany as the Nazis really start to grow in their power. One of the few WWII books I've ever read that was not centered on the Jewish experience, not that the devastation of genocide doesn't play a large part of the story, but it's mostly from the point of view of a young girl, who aside from the Jewish man hiding in her basement, has nothing to fear from the Nazis around her  - but Lisle hates them for reasons of her own.  But the most unexpected feature of this story is the narrator: Death. Death is a character that takes some getting use to, but his perspective will really make you question life and how you view it. The story is filled with characters that will live in your heart forever, and I promise you that you will hold your breath for a number of them, because it's WWII, life is short for so many.