Meet Veronica Roth & Tahereh Mafi @ Chapters Metrotown (Oct 18)

Bestselling teen authors Veronica Roth and Tahereh Mafi will be at Chapters Metrotown in Burnaby this Saturday, October 18th at 2pm! Fans are invited to watch a special on-stage interview with these authors and will have a chance to purchase pre-autographed copies of their books, while quantities last. 200 lucky wristband holders will get the chance to meet the authors and get one book personalized.

Chapters Indigo Summer Sale - Up to 50% Off

Chapters is having a great summer sale, with 50% off books, toys, home, and electronic items, online and in-store. This is the perfect time to stock up on your summer reading and maybe get a few toys and trinkets.

Read the Book, See the Movie. Free Scene Points with Book Purchase @ Chapters

With so many movies made into film adaptations, Chapters has partnered with Scene to offer free scene points with the purchase of a book that has been turned into a movie! I personally like to read the book before I see the film so I think this is a great promotion! With every book you purchase, you receive 250 scene points. Check out the full list of eligible titles here.

Top 50 Books 50% Off at Chapters

Chapters is having a great sale online only by offering 50% off the top 50 hottest selling books! This is the perfect time to stock up for your summer reading to so take advantage of this promotion here.

2012 Holiday Gift Ideas: Chapters Holiday Product Preview #IndigoAdore

I was invited to the Holiday Product Preview event at Chapters last week for loyalty members. I love shopping at Chapters, as they carry more than just books and it's a great place to shop for everyone on your Christmas list so I was excited to see what they had to offer.

Chapters went all out for the event, with live music and wine and cheese to snack on. There were plenty of new products to look at that could be perfect for gifts for him, her, baby and more. The store also carries a plethora of home decor items that would make a unique gift! The pictures below are just a small selection of what Chapters is selling, so make sure to head to your local Chapters to see what's in store!

There was a quick appearance by James Nevison, who wrote Had a Glass 2013, a guide to the top 100 wines that are under $20. This book is the perfect gift for that wine lover you know! Chef Rob Feenie also popped by to promote his newest cookbook, Casual Classics. I've already purchased this book as gift, and it's a perfect cookbook to browse through with easy to make recipes.

There were lots of prize draws for guests and the night ended with a swagbag for everyone that attended! Thanks Chapters!

Live music.

A plate of scrumptious looking meat and cheeses.

There were also chocolates to sample. Chapters is also selling these.

This caramel brownie is made from a recipe from Rob Feenie's cookbook.

Gorgeous floating picture frames.

Candles, soaps.

"Cashmink" scarf.

Milk chocolate truffles in a nutcracker.

This little gingerbread man looks so happy!

A cute 12 Days of Christmas biscuit tin.

These polar bears look really fuzzy and cuddly!

Owl items seem to be very popular!

The eyes of these seals are just begging you to bring them home!

Perfect stocking for baby.

Penguin booties.

These beautiful snow globes would look perfect as a centerpiece.

Pear shaped candles.

Owl candle holder.

A trio of ornaments.

A pillow with the perfect saying for Vancouverites.

Adorable owl mugs.

Chef Rob Feenie introduces his cookbook.

James Nevison talking about his book, Had a Glass 2013.

The goodies in the swagbag!

Free Bestselling Book from Penguin Canada

If you are a subscriber of Penguin Canada's newsletter, then you are eligible to receive a free bestselling book if you complete this short and simple survey. The offer is only open to Canadian residents. One book per household, while quantities last. The offer ends on Friday, October 26th.

You can choose from the following books:

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Buried Prey by John Sandford

The Forest Laird by Jack Whyte

Beggar's Feast by Randy Boyagoda

The History of Canada Series - The Last Act: Pierre Trudeau by Ron Graham

The Witch of Babylon by D.J. McIntosh

Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna

Dust City by Robert Paul Weston

The Disappeared by Kim Echlin

Unjunk Your Junkfood - Book Review

We all love to eat junk food - me, maybe more than I should. I always feel guilty after a snacking session, not only because it's junk food, but I know processed foods are bad for you. The folks over at Naturally Savvy know this and have started an Edible (R)evolution and wants you to join! They even have a manifesto.

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a useful field guide on healthy alternatives to conventional snacks and stresses the importance of reading food labels - especially looking at the ingredients list before the Nutrition Facts panel. If a product has harmful ingredients, it is considered a bad choice, no matter how many calories it contains! There is even a handy tear-out list of the worst ingredients found in food products.

I took a look in my snack drawer to see if they contained any of The Scary Seven - ingredients to avoid at all costs!

1. High-Fructose Corn Syrup
2. Trans-fats
3. MSG
4. Artificial flavours
5. Artificial colours
6. Artificial sweeteners
7. Preservatives

Just typing out that list gives me the chills because we all know those ingredients are all associated with unhealthy eating! In my cupboards, I found Corn Flakes cereal, which contains preservatives (BHT), Chocolate Mini Wheats cereal (artificial flavour, BHT preservatives) and Chaokoh Coconut Juice (preservatives). Some snacks such as Kashi Pita Crisps and Larabar fruit and nut energy bar didn't have any of The Scary Seven ingredients, but I already knew they were "healthy" options. It was actually surprising how many food items contain the ingredients you should avoid.

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a very easy read and shows specific well-known brands of snack foods on one page, and better and healthier brand of the same snack on the facing page. This makes it easy to compare between the two options. No one is saying you should stop eating junk food, but just be aware that there are healthier options to your snacks, so look out for the list of ingredients on the food packaging.

You can purchase the book at Barnes & Noble (in stores and online), Amazon and other online retailers. Follow the Edible (R)evolution on Facebook and Twitter. You can have your cake and eat it too!

Disclaimer: The product mentioned above was given free of charge as part of Naturally Savvy Approved Bloggers program. The opinions expressed in this post are those of Seapotato and have not been influenced in any other way.

The Song of Achilles - Book Review

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller, is a page-turning novel that brings us the back story of Achilles and his friend Patroclus. Set in Greece in the age of Gods and heros, Patroclus is introduced as an awkward and self-conscious young prince who accidentally kills a boy and is then exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. There, he is raised by King Peleus, the father of Achilles. Achilles is the complete opposite of Patroclus - handsome, strong, God-like. The two become close friends, and eventually, lovers. The Song of Achilles becomes a tale of love and betrayal, the long Trojan War serving as the backdrop.

Miller creates a complex character in Patroclus, and captures his insecurities and loneliness, his devotion to Achilles and to friendships. The scenes of war are exciting, with the young half-God Achilles discovering how perfectly he is made for war - Aristos Achaion, greatest of the Greeks. The interplay between Gods and mortals is mysterious, neither side ever in full control. The Song of Achilles weaves such a intense story that it`s hard not to get caught up in their world. If you love Greek myths, I strongly recommend The Song of Achilles, as it is a beautifully written story that gives readers a different look at the Trojan War.

Room by Emma Donoghue - Book Review

I heard from my coworker that Room was a book she couldn't put down, so when my sister got a copy, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

Room is told through the perspective of five-year-old Jack, and to him, Room is the entire world. He was born there and he lives with his Ma, eats, plays and learns there and sleeps in the wardrobe at night, in case Old Nick shows up. To Jack's Ma, Room is a small shed where Old Nick has kept her for seven years after kidnapping her, ever since she was nineteen. She has created a life for her son but knows they can't go on like this forever. She has to figure out a way to escape her prison.

I couldn't put the book down once I started. Emma Donoghue does an excellent job of drawing you into Jack's world, seeing things through his eyes, a child born and raised in captivity who doesn't know anything about the outside world. You feel the danger that Jack's Ma feels and the urgency of which she wants to escape. I highly recommend this book (try not to read it during a weeknight, you won't be able to put it down!) and I'm looking forward to reading more of Donoghue's books.

Julie and Julia - Movie Review

Last week I finished reading Julie and Julia by Julie Powell about her year cooking through Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogging about it. It's an interesting read, interspersed with snippets of Julia Child's life. What makes it more fun is that it's a true story, and Julie Powell actually exists, and she actually did cook through all those recipes. Even the original blog still exists!!! Check it out here. She has a new blog now that her cooking project is finished, about her life.

Last night, I watched the movie adaptation. Meryl Strep does a spot on impression of Julia Child. She's brilliant! It's a fun movie to watch, and though it does not follow the book exactly, I would recommend it to anyone looking for something light to watch!

The Girls - Book Review

I finished reading The Girls by Lori Lansens. I received it as a freebie but it turned out to be a pretty good book anyway. It's about craniopagus twins, Rose and Ruby Darlen, and their life growing up in Ontario. Rose is diagnosed with an aneurysm, and she starts writing an autobiography. Lansens does an excellent job of narrating the girls' stories, with such good details. Soon I kept wondering if this was even a fiction novel (it is) because it's so beautifully written.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Book Review

I finished another book in two days, The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. It was a really good read, and so sad too! I'm sure a lot of you watched the movie version already, so you probably know what it's about. (I haven't seen it yet, though it does look really good!!). Henry has chronic displacement disorder and time travels involuntarily to the past or future. Clare is his wife/future wife who is always waiting for him. The story is full of longing and frustrations of their love story and I guarantee you won't be able to put it down until you've finished the book! I was staying up until 4am just to read this. Egads, I need to stop buying and borrowing books to read, otherwise I will never get any sleep!

Pirate Latitudes - Book Review

I finished reading Michael Crichton's latest (and last) novel, Pirate Latitudes last night. As usual, it was an excellent read. Crichton is my favorite author, and with good reason! All his novels are exciting and gripping, with interesting topics. Pirate Latitudes is about a group of men who go on a privateering expedition (not pirates!) to capture the treasure from Mantanceros. Of there, there is a lot of fighting, ship wrecks, and treasures.

Crichton passed away last November from cancer, and Pirate Latitudes was found as a complete manuscript by one of his assistants. How sad that this is his last book ever! I have read and bought almost all of his books (I think I am missing one, two now that this is out) because he is just THAT good a writer. Go order your copy today, you won't regret it!

Princess Books: The Stepsister Scheme and The Mermaid's Madness - Book Review

I have been reading some awesome books by Jim C. Hines. This is a new series by the author about fairytale princesses we all know and love. Except totally twisted. These are kickass princesses who don't get their happily ever after (except Cinderella). Two books are out so far, The Stepsister Scheme and The Mermaid's Madness. I read it out of order, so I just finished the 2nd book yesterday and am currently reading the first book. They are SOOOO good. The stories center around Danielle (Cinderella), Snow (Snow White - Snow is just her nickname, her real name is long and I forget), and Talia (Sleeping Beauty).

Danielle marries Prince Armand and gets her happily ever after. Snow killed her mother, who killed the hunter who was supposed to kill Snow, but fell in love with her and lived with her for a year. Snow fled her kingdom after that. Talia and her family gets put into 100 years of sleep, only to have her uncle try to take the throne. The prince that hacks his way through the thorns into the castle kills Talia's family, then rapes her. Talia wakes up from labour pains! She flees her kingdom too and learns all sorts of kick ass fighting skills. Now Snow and Talia serve Queen Beatrice, the queen of Lorinder, where Danielle lives.

In the first book, Danielle's stepsisters kidnap Armand...then try to steal her child before he is even born! The trio of princesses set out to rescue him in Fairyland, where they think the stepsister's took him. That's all I got up to in the book so I can't tell you what happens next, sorry. You'll just have to read it yourself!


In The Mermaid's Madness, Queen Beatrice gets stabbed by The Little Mermaid, who has gone crazy because she killed her prince. The three princesses have to set out to sea to find the mermaid's grandmother, who made the knife.



A third princess book, Red Hood's Revenge, is coming out next year in 2010 focused on Little Red Riding Hood, who is an assassin.