Here’s to great books – especially the unexpected ones that cut the line of your ridiculous TBR list. To all the characters who make us laugh, cry, and dream, and to the brilliant authors who create these worlds for us to escape and inspire us to create our own!
There is something about the unexpected surprise of a book randomly chosen when circumstances are just ripe for the taking. Circumstances that were created to make opportunities for spontaneous random book picking in the Libby app of “available now” section. Or when an enticing library display catches the eye!
I picked up the book, Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. It is an incredible story about a villain who has an exceptionally organized assistant. In every way that he is angry, brooding, and evil, Evie is happy, organized, and good. A story that is everything you can imagine if that dark brooding unlikely hero met his match in the most sunshiny, positive person you can imagine.
I often found myself laughing while listening to the audiobook, narrated beautifully by Em Eldridge. The way Evie would voiced her inner dialogue felt so realistic. I can personally vouch for how ridiculous that inner monologue can be, especially when you think you’ve made a ridiculous mistake. Seriously, if you get the chance, pick up this book to listen to or read!
The second book A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke, was a treasure I found in a delightful, spooky, display at the Moose Jaw Public Library around Halloween. Since I’m hooked on anything ghost-related, I decided to pick it up as soon as I saw the cover.
Ruby is a spunky little twenty-year-old girl who scored big time with a fully-furnished apartment in a brand-new city just as she embarked on a journey to prove herself. Little does she know her score comes with a free, ghostly roommate: Cordelia. And a nosy neighbour in the hallway! Cordelia, the apartment’s previous tenant, and Ruby initially try to chase each other out. After failing, they become an unlikely, epic team!. They are now amateur detectives and the most unlikely of friends. The book was humorous, clever, and a great puzzle. If you get the chance to pick it up, you’ll be in for a real treat!
So here’s to those brilliant authors who create worlds we love to visit! They inspire us to create our own stories, carrying the characters they create with us like new friends. Their stories can inspire us to overcome our own challenges or seize new opportunities when we are afraid to do so. A great book is not just time well spent. It’s a gift that opens our imaginations and gives us the courage for so much more.