I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.

Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.

Hardcover, 327 pages

Audiobook, 9 hours 55 minutes

Published October 8, 2013 

by Little, Brown and Company

4/5 stars

I'll confess,  I went into this one not fully realizing it took place in Pakistan. Had I known I would have picked it up much sooner. My daughter-in-law is from Pakistan and learning about the country and its culture is something I am always eager to do.

This is a memoir that is equal parts personal story and history lesson. I was stuck that for such a young girl, Malala was remarkably outspoken and carried a maturity well beyond her years. The courage (and support of her father) it took to speak out the way she did, knowing the dangers, is something that has stayed with me.

Malala grew up in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where she became a passionate and very public voice for girls' right to education. When the Taliban moved into the region and began shutting down girls' schools she refused to be silenced. That courage came at a devastating price, her story of survival and what followed is at the heart of this memoir.

I listened to this one in audiobook format, it worked wonderfully for a memoir like this. I'm not sure of the exact runtime, but I can tell you it went by quickly - I was completely captivated by her story, the history of the country and the events unfolding around her. What made it even more personal for me was the realization that some of what she describes overlapped with the four years my son and his family were living in Pakistan. That connection made the experience both more meaningful and, at times, more than a little unsettling.

I am Malala is a powerful and important read, I will be reading, or rather listening to the sequel Finding My Way soon.

Audiobook obtained through my Audible subscription. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

Paperback, 419 pages

Published June 2, 2015

 by Bloomsbury Publishing

4.5/5 stars

Full disclosure - this was my 4th time reading this book and I honestly can't tell why I never sat down and wrote a proper review before now. Better late than never I guess! I picked it up again to refresh my memory as I work my way through the rest of the series, determined to finish before book six arrives this fall.

This was one of my first forays into fantasy,  what really drew me in originally was the Beauty and the Beast retelling at its heart. Though I will say that it is so much more than that. The world building is intricate and impressive and on this reread I found myself rediscovering details I had completely forgotten.

At the centre is Feyre, a 19 year old who had to grow up too fast and has spent most of her young life taking care of her family even when they didn't appreciate it. She is a character easy to root for. The Spring Court is nicely rendered and the tension that builds between Feyre and Tamlin makes for a compelling read.

The ending is suspenseful and full of tension, introducing new characters while setting up what promises to be a very different journey for Feyre in the next book. Let's just say the girl who entered the Spring Court is not the same and what lies ahead for her is going to test everything she's made of.

I am not counting this as part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge since it is a reread.  I've already reread book 2 and hoping to start 3 shortly.   Kinda like Diana Gabaldon, each book does grow a little more in size.

Woodsong by Gary Paulsen

A LIFE AS EXCITING AS FICTION

Gary Paulsen, is no stranger to adventure. He has flown off the back of a dogsled and down a frozen waterfall to near disaster, and waited for a giant bear to seal his fate with one slap of a claw. He has led a team of sled dogs toward the Alaskan Mountain Range in an Iditarod -- the grueling, 1,180-mile dogsled race -- hallucinating from lack of sleep, but he determined to finish.

Here, in vivid detail, Paulsen recounts several of the remarkable experiences that shaped his life and inspired his award-winning writing.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published May 8, 2007

 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

3/5 stars

I started reading Gary Paulsen with Hatchet and have been dipping in and out of his work ever since. Every once in a while I step away from the series and grab one of his standalones and Woodsong was exactly that kind of pick. At just 144 pages it was the perfect vacation read and that's exactly where I found myself when I finished it.

This one is a memoir, split into two parts. The first takes place in Minnesota where Paulsen learns some humbling lessons from nature and his sled dogs. The second is during the Iditarod, the grueling 1,180-mile dogsled race across Alaska and that's where things really come alive. Very on-brand for an author who seems happiest in the remote wilderness, this time it's rather chilly also.

If you have a middle grade reader in your life who loves the outdoors and adventure, this is a great one to hand them. Paulsen has a real gift for making the wilderness feel both breathtaking and unforgiving.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #15

Finding Flora by Elinor Florence

A rollicking historical novel set in turn-of-the-century Alberta about a young woman on the run from her abusive husband who uses a legal loophole to claim a homestead in the Wild West.

In 1905, Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to disappear, she claims a homestead near Alix, Alberta, determined to start a new life for herself. She finds that her nearest neighbours are also a Welsh widow with three children; two American women raising chickens; and a Métis woman who makes a living by breaking in wild horses.

While battling the harsh environment (and draconian local attitudes toward female farmers), the five women grapple with the differences of their backgrounds and the secrets each struggles to keep. When their homes are threatened with expropriation by the hostile federal Minister of the Interior, the women join forces to “fire the heather,” a Scottish term meaning raising a ruckus. And as the competition for land along the new Canadian Pacific railway line heats up, Flora’s violent husband closes in, and an unscrupulous land agent threatens the lives and livelihoods of the women just as they’re coming into their own.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 1, 2025

 by Simon & Schuster

4/5

This is my second time reading Elinor Florence, after loving Wildwood, I went back to this 2025 release and found the same signature that draws me to her work -  strong women doing things their generation said they couldn't.

Finding Flora is set in 1905 northern Alberta, the historical detail is rich and fascinating. Flora is a young Scottish immigrant carrying a secret, while trying to build a new life on the Alberta prairie under circumstances that were anything but simple for a woman of that era. Land ownership came with strict government restrictions, hostile neighbours who were determined to make life difficult and yet Flora remains determined, resilient and watchful.

What she doesn't anticipate are the connections that form around her,  the relationships she didn't know she needed.

Elinor Florence has a gift for bringing her stories to life through women who feel utterly real and Finding Flora is no exception. I loved the Canadian historical setting and the things that went into building this great country.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge #23

One Second Away by Rick Mofina

What happens when your worst nightmare becomes your reality?

One sunny day in California, Jessie is hugging her nine-year-old son, Dylan, goodbye at the airport. He's travelling by himself, all the way across the country, to visit his father, Jessie's soon-to-be ex-husband, and his grandparents. Her heart breaks, but she puts on a brave face and gives her son one last wave as a flight attendant leads him away.

Several hours later, Jessie gets a frantic call from Dylan's grandmother in New York. Dylan is missing.

In a second, Jessie's world turns upside down. The AirTag she'd stuck in his backpack says he's still at LAX. The airline insists that he was picked up at JFK by an elderly couple claiming to be his grandparents—but Jessie's in-laws insist they haven't seen him. Dylan has disappeared into thin air.

At the same moment, miles away, in Toronto, a train operator loses control of a subway train, and the fiery crash injures dozens of passengers.

Jessie doesn’t know it yet, but this crash is inextricably linked to Dylan's disappearance. She has to find out how—and where her son is.

Propulsive and binge-worthy, the latest from bestselling author Rick Mofina is a race-against-the-clock global thriller that will leave you breathless.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published April 28, 2026

 by Doubleday Canada

3.5/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Rick Mofina book, I impulsed purchased this because of the hype on IG and that FOMO moment took over.  Did the hype delivery, as a matter of fact it did.

This story has many layers. At its heart is the disappearance of Jessie's nine-year-old son Dylan, and as a mother, her anguish is immediately felt. But the opening prologue, set on a Toronto TTC subway train signals right away that there is much more at play here than a missing child. As a Canadian reader, that local connection was a definite grabber.

There are a number of pov's, which added to the mystery and of course characters that I kept a watch on. The story does take some time to reveal how all the threads connect and there were stretches in the middle where I had to trust the process. That patience pays off though, the final third was tense and genuinely hard to put down with everything converging in ways that kept me turning pages. An ending that was fitting with a few surprises.

Mofina has earned a spot on my radar and I'll definitely be exploring his backlist. 

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #22

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

A dual-timeline murder mystery set in an English country manor, when an ambitious professor discovers the long-lost manuscript of a Reformation-era prophetess.

Historian Alison Sage has made a groundbreaking archival discovery—she found a manuscript containing the prophecies of a 16th century nun, Elizabeth Barton. Barton’s prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn led to her execution and the destruction of all copies of her prophecies—or so the world believed.

With Alison’s discovery, she is catapulted to academic superstardom and scores an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium, a week of research among a select handful of fellow historians at a crumbling manor in England, located next to the ruins of the priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

What begins as a promising conference turns into a nightmare as the eerie house becomes the site of a murder. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect, and it seems that answers lie at the root of a local legend about centuries-old hidden treasure. Alison’s research makes her best-suited to solve the mystery—but when old feelings resurface for a former colleague, and the stakes of the search skyrocket, everyone's motives become murky.

Alison’s cutthroat world of academia is almost as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton’s sixteenth-century England, where heretics are beheaded, visions can kill, and knowing who to trust is a deadly art. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a thrilling novel, crackling with the voices of the past and propelled by a mystery that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page.

Kindle Edition, 307 pages

Published April 14, 2026 

by St. Martin's Press

3/5 stars

This is my first time reading Jennifer N. Brown, the premise drew me in: a dual-timeline mystery connecting a present-day academic who discovers a lost manuscript to its author, Elizabeth Barton, a real sixteenth-century nun who prophesied against Henry VIII.  Dual timelines is a trope I always enjoy, and the way Brown connects the two centuries was interesting.

Present day there is Alison, she is presented as a brilliant academic, but I found myself wishing the page backed that up a little more.  Elizabeth, a woman whose visions and convictions put her directly in the path of danger. I found myself thinking that sometimes, especially in sixteenth-century England, it might have been wiser to keep both your mouth and your visions to yourself.

The story-line itself held my interest, but I found the characters a little flat on both sides of the timeline. The plot kept me reading, though I wouldn't call it unputdownable,  it was the kind of book you're happy to pick up but not desperate to get back to.

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a story of conviction, determination and treasure, yes there is a treasure, or is there really? 

A solid debut with an interesting historical thread. 

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via NetGalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spotlight: The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne

A Contemporary Small-Town Story of Family, Community and Books

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication June 2, 2026

 by MIRA

Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas’s life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past. What she doesn’t have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she’d choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he’s a single dad with two young kids. She’s already been there, done that. Still as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can’t seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can’t quite unravel…

Emma isn’t proud of her past. But she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter, and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT Book Reviews. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website, raeannethayne.com.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart. 

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published May 5, 2026

 by Berkley

4/5 stars

Carley Fortune has built a reputation for grounding her books in Canadian settings that appeal to so many Canadian readers, not just myself. In Our Perfect Storm we are in Tofino on Vancouver Island, I've been there, so I felt every bit of it through the pages.

Frankie is jilted on her wedding day. While the beginning was reminiscent of another book I read recently, it quickly went in another direction (thank goodness). Childhood best friend George takes Frankie on her week-long honeymoon to Tofino for some healing and what unfolds is a week of adventure, good food, and fun banter. Also self-discovery and revealed secrets.

What Fortune does so well is weave the past into the present. The history between Frankie and George does a lot of the heavy lifting and it makes their journey all the more interesting to watch.

Our Perfect Storm is a story of friendship, self-discovery and healing. Frankie and George are likeable characters whose chemistry reflects a lifetime of knowing each other. Set against that gorgeous backdrop, I found myself right there with them, with memories of my own Tofino vacation flooding back. I'm pretty sure there will be a spike in tourism to the Island. I know I want to go back; the rain-forests are a sight to behold.

All in all, this might be one of my favourite Carley Fortune books. I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading of my Shelf Challenge and is #22.

Spotlight: LOVE ON THE SHELF by Sheila Roberts

The battle lines are drawn—between a romance-loving bookseller and the shock jock determined to tear happily-ever-afters apart.

Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication May 26, 2026

 by MIRA

Alice Willoughby and her mom run HEA Books, a cozy shop devoted to love stories and the people who crave them. Alice is great at matching customers with their perfect happily-ever-after…she just can’t seem to find her own.

Enter Parker Black, a disillusioned radio host who’s reinvented himself as a romance-bashing shock jock. Bitter from his breakup with a romance author who turned love into a four-letter word, Parker takes aim at the entire genre—and his on-air rants start stirring up trouble for Alice’s loyal customers and their partners. He’s arrogant, aggravating, and absolutely not book-boyfriend material.

Parker’s crusade leads to spirited debates and bookstore protests, but when unexpected sparks fly between the two of them Alice begins to wonder if her favorite trope—enemies to lovers—might actually be playing out in real life. Parker may claim romance is a lie…but is he protesting a little too much?

With sharp wit and plenty of charm, USA Today bestselling author Sheila Roberts delivers a modern battle of the sexes where the biggest question is simple:

Are romance novels ruining love—or rewriting it?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author Sheila Roberts has written sixty books ranging from romance and relationship fiction to devotional and self-improvement. Her novels have been turned into movies for the Lifetime, Hallmark, and GAF channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with friends, she can be found writing about the things dear to her heart: family, friends and love. And chocolate. Sheila splits her time between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California. You can visit her at sheilasplace.com.

The Mad Trapper: The Incredible Tale of a Famous Canadian Manhunt by Helena Katz

This is the incredible story of Canada's largest manhunt. Hundreds of men spent 7 weeks tracking the elusive Albert Johnson for 240 kilometres across the frozen North. He was eventually caught and killed but the identity of Albert Johnson, the Mad Trapper of Rat River, remains a mystery to this day.

Paperback, 128 pages

Published January 1, 2004

 by Heritage Amazing Stories

3.5/5 stars

Hearing little tidbits over the years about The Mad Trapper had me grabbing this book, or rather rescuing it from a thrift shop when I saw it. The Mad Trapper tells the true story of Canada's largest manhunt, whether that title still stands I am not sure.

The manhunt itself is extraordinary. Hundreds of men tracking one person across 240 kilometres of frozen northern wilderness... in the middle of blizzard conditions... by dogsled. That means carrying all supplies not just for themselves but food for the dogs as well. I got the sense of how in tune the searchers were with their environment - reading the weather, knowing when storms were coming, following tracks in the snow. And then there is the added element of an airplane being brought in, which feels almost out of place alongside the dogsleds.

As for Albert Johnson himself, I had no sympathy for him, he was out for himself and showed no regard for human life. But I was genuinely impressed by his cunning. He outmaneuvered hundreds of men for seven weeks, I got the sense he had real experience and knowledge of the land. As for who he actually was, they have their suspicions, but without the forensic means available today, his true identity remains unconfirmed. And honestly that intrigues me more than it frustrates me. Some of history's mysteries stay a mystery.

The Mad Trapper is a story of community, danger and determination. It is about survival and tragedy, and it is a piece of Canadian history that deserves to be known. At just over 130 pages, it is a quick read. I recommend it to anyone curious about Canadian history and the incredible things people were capable of long before the modern world made everything somewhat easier.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #17.