BOOKS
Hello Sunshine by Laura Dave
This is a really fun book. I swear, I’m not a social media fraud like this character is…but nor am I an internet sensation! (Yet…)
Sunshine Mackenzie has it all…until her secrets come to light.
Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor.
And then she gets hacked.
When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life.
In a world where celebrity is a careful construct, Hello, Sunshine is a compelling, funny, and evocative novel about what it means to live an authentic life in an inauthentic age.
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips
So many insightful lines about parenting – and the author was kind enough to reply to me when I tweeted out one of my favourites: “She has perfected the art of being able to listen with half of herself while the other half spins and whirls.”
Thanks–I only find that line to get more true over time. 🙂
— Gin Phillips (@GinPhillips17) September 13, 2017
An electrifying literary thriller introduces an unforgettable mother and son, whose simple trip to the zoo one afternoon is transformed into three hours of terror and survival after gunshots ring out. What would you do to protect the ones you love?
After school on a late October day, Joan has taken her four-year-old son, Lincoln, to one of his favourite places on earth: the zoo. Just before closing time, as they need to go home, she hears some loud pops like firecrackers. Not thinking much of it, they head for the exit…until Joan realizes the eerie human emptiness means danger, then sees the figure of a lone gunman. Without another thought, she scoops up her son and runs back into the zoo. And for the next three hours–the entire scope of the novel–she does anything she can to keep Lincoln safe.
Both pulse-pounding and emotionally satisfying, Fierce Kingdom is a thrill ride, but also an exploration of the very nature of motherhood itself, from its saving graces to its savage power. At heart it asks how you draw the line between survival and the duty to protect one another? Who would you die for?
MOVIE
Miss Sloane starring Jessica Chastain (who is absolutely brilliant in it – follow her on Twitter for even more brilliance)
My husband and I both loved this one – and yes, it’s on Netflix!
Willing to bend the rules for her clients, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) remains one of the most sought-after lobbyists in Washington, D.C. When asked to help oppose a bill that imposes regulations on firearms, she instead joins a scrappy boutique firm that represents the backers of the law. Her defiant stance and determination to win now makes her the target of powerful new enemies who threaten her career and the people she cares about.
MISCELLANEOUS
M&Ms ad: I don’t know why, but I thought this was a gorgeous ad. Okay, I do know why – I love chocolate, and it helps to ease the pain of autumn chill when I can envision the leaves to be edible.
My mom’s meals: a few times a year mom stocks my freezer and my brother’s family’s with homemade meals to order. Our favourites: chicken alfredo and three cheese manicotti. Mmmm! Like someone said on my Facebook post, it’s like getting the gift of time. Thanks, mom!
