Hayley_Simmons
Ottawa Public Library
Hayley_Simmons's Completed Shelf
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The Roxy LettersThe Roxy Letters, Book
by Lowry, Mary PaulineBook - 2020 | First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.Book, 2020. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Added Mar 22, 2021
Take A Hint, Dani BrownTake A Hint, Dani Brown, BookA Novel
by Hibbert, TaliaBook - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
Added Nov 20, 2020
Real Men KnitReal Men Knit, BookA Novel
by Jackson, K. M.Book - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
Added Nov 20, 2020
The Wedding DateThe Wedding Date, Book
by Guillory, JasmineBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Added Nov 08, 2020
The Baby-sitters ClubThe Baby-sitters Club, BookThe Truth About Stacey
by Telgemeier, RainaBook - 2015 | First color edition.Book, 2015. First color edition.
Added Feb 20, 2020
Added Dec 07, 2019
City of GhostsCity of Ghosts, Book
by Schwab, VictoriaBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Added Oct 10, 2018
They Both Die at the EndThey Both Die at the End, eBook
by Silvera, AdameBook - 2017 | First edition.eBook, 2017. First edition.
All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 2 copies
Holds: 0 on 2 copies
Added Oct 10, 2018
An American MarriageAn American Marriage, BookA Novel
by Jones, TayariBook - 2018 | First Canadian edition.Book, 2018. First Canadian edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Sep 05, 2018
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 28, 2018
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 15, 2018
The Book ThiefThe Book Thief, Book
by Zusak, MarkusBook - 2016 | Anniversary edition.Book, 2016. Anniversary edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 15, 2018
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 08, 2018
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, BookA Novel
by Reid, Taylor JenkinsBook - 2017 | First Atria Books hardcover edition.Book, 2017. First Atria Books hardcover edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 08, 2018
Then She Was GoneThen She Was Gone, BookA Novel
by Jewell, LisaBook - 2018 | First Atria Books hardcover edition.Book, 2018. First Atria Books hardcover edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 08, 2018
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Aug 08, 2018
Where'd You Go, BernadetteWhere'd You Go, Bernadette, BookA Novel
by Semple, MariaBook - 2019 | First Back Bay books media tie-in paperback edition.Book, 2019. First Back Bay books media tie-in paperback edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added May 24, 2018
The Child FinderThe Child Finder, BookA Novel
by Denfeld, ReneBook - 2017 | First edition.Book, 2017. First edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added May 17, 2018
Comment:
The focus of this novel is that which is every parent's worst nightmare, the search for a missing child. Naomi, The Child Finder, was a lost child herself but we only know about how she was found and nothing about her story before that. As a result, she has the uncanny ability of finding missing children and has made a career out of it. Madison has been missing for 3 years and her parents hire Naomi to help them locate their daughter. The book switches between the point of view of Naomi and Madison with the occasional point of view from other characters. It is beautifully written but seemed choppy at times. There was one part of the novel that loosely connected to the rest of the story and so I'm not sure it was a necessary add. Nonetheless, the novel was a page turner. It took a different spin on the missing child case than one might expect and the characters were interesting. I became invested in the story and the characters and was afraid to finish in case the outcome was not one that I could handle.The focus of this novel is that which is every parent's worst nightmare, the search for a missing child. Naomi, The Child Finder, was a lost child herself but we only know about how she was found and nothing about her story before that. As a result,…
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added May 03, 2018
Comment:
The Taster was a great book. I have been reading quite a few Historical Fiction novels recently and it was interesting to read one written from the perspective of someone employed by Hitler. Magda Ritter is a taster for Hitler (a position i was unaware existed but did) which means she must taste his food and drink before it is served to him to make sure that it is not poisoned. Magda learns of what is happening under Hitler's leadership and ultimately conspires against him. There are emotional and difficult parts to read throughout the story as is for a lot of Historical Fiction taking place during WWII. V.S. Alexander is a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading his first novel, The Magdalen Girls.The Taster was a great book. I have been reading quite a few Historical Fiction novels recently and it was interesting to read one written from the perspective of someone employed by Hitler. Magda Ritter is a taster for Hitler (a position i was…
I'll Be Gone in the DarkI'll Be Gone in the Dark, BookOne Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
by McNamara, MichelleBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added May 02, 2018
Comment:
I had put this book on hold at the library a couple of months ago and it came in just weeks before news broke that they had arrested a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, so it was a very timely read. I have not read any true crime novels and I was unsure of whether it would be a genre I would want to read as it is that much creepier to read these stories knowing that they are based on real events that have taken place. I was however curious about it and so I thought I'd give it a try and you know what, I'm glad I did. It was interesting, yet terrifying, and i became hypersensitive to every little sound in the house while reading it at night. Michelle McNamara has an honest and gripping style of writing that just sucks you into the story and the facts right away. It is uncanny how well she can portray the events that happened and how her obsession can pique the reader's interest. I was somewhat confused by how the timeline was presented as it was not followed chronologically which i would have expected. I continuously consulted the timeline and map provided at the beginning of the book. This however did not take away from the quality of the writing. I am blown away by the amount of information Michelle was able to obtain! Her epilogue was quite powerful. I do wish she could have witnessed the arrest and we could have read her take on the events that have unfolded recently in the case of the Golden State Killer.I had put this book on hold at the library a couple of months ago and it came in just weeks before news broke that they had arrested a suspect in the Golden State Killer case, so it was a very timely read. I have not read any true crime novels and I…
The Woman in the WindowThe Woman in the Window, Book
by Finn, A. J.Book - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Apr 27, 2018
Comment:
Before starting this book, I had heard that there were quite a few twists and turns which is what piqued my interest and convinced me to pick it up. It was a slow start, though I did find that I was trying to come up with theories about Anna (the main character) and her condition and all of the characters she interacts with. I wish there were more spine tingling episodes early on in the story but the twist and reveal at the end were quite clever and unexpected. A.J. Finn uses a lot of descriptive language throughout the novel and has great characterization. Despite what I had read in Reviews, the book wasn't one that I felt I couldn't put down until the last 100 pages or so. That said, this is a great debut novel and i will no doubt read more by him in the future.Before starting this book, I had heard that there were quite a few twists and turns which is what piqued my interest and convinced me to pick it up. It was a slow start, though I did find that I was trying to come up with theories about Anna (the…
The Lightkeeper's DaughtersThe Lightkeeper's Daughters, Book
by Pendziwol, JeanBook - 2017 | First edition.Book, 2017. First edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Apr 19, 2018
Comment:
This is a beautifully written story with lots of descriptive language and imagery. The author, Jean E. Pendziwol, is skilled with her character development and it was nice to read a book set in my own province. A young teen, Morgan, has grown up in foster care with little knowledge of her family. She is put under "restorative rehabilitation" for spray painting the property of a retirement home. She must spend this time fixing what she has done. While working at the retirement home, she meets an elderly woman, Elizabeth, and agrees to read to her from some journals written by her father as she is no longer able to see. From here, the reader moves through past and present and comes to understand that there is a connection between these two ladies. Family, specifically the love between two sisters is the prevalent theme in this story. There is a huge reveal at the finale that i was not expecting, summing up some of the unanswered questions throughout the book. The story is lovely and I recommend it to others looking for an excellent read from the Historical Fiction genre.This is a beautifully written story with lots of descriptive language and imagery. The author, Jean E. Pendziwol, is skilled with her character development and it was nice to read a book set in my own province. A young teen, Morgan, has grown up in…
Precious CargoPrecious Cargo, BookMy Year Driving the Kids on School Bus 3077
by Davidson, CraigBook - 2016Book, 2016
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Apr 14, 2018
Comment:
I have not read a lot of memoirs but this one was wonderful! It pulled me in right from the start. The author, Craig Davidson, is candid, funny, and compassionate in his writing. His memoir chronicles his year as a school bus driver for students with special needs. Having worked with people with special needs, I was able to connect with this book that much more than other books and it brought back some lovely memories for me and explored some issues that I have faced in my own experiences. Precious Cargo was relatable (especially so if you work or volunteer with children), insightful, and full of emotion. I can understand why it was one of the books nominated for Canada Reads 2018. It has piqued my interest in reading more memoirs.I have not read a lot of memoirs but this one was wonderful! It pulled me in right from the start. The author, Craig Davidson, is candid, funny, and compassionate in his writing. His memoir chronicles his year as a school bus driver for students…
The Broken GirlsThe Broken Girls, Book
by St. James, SimoneBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Apr 09, 2018
Comment:
This was a very interesting book. I love the Paranormal Thriller genre and this one did not disappoint. There were quite a few parts of the story that were chilling and I was glad I was not reading it alone in the room. The switch between past and present throughout the book was well done. I enjoyed the surprises along the way and the wrap-up. I would definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a book from this genre.This was a very interesting book. I love the Paranormal Thriller genre and this one did not disappoint. There were quite a few parts of the story that were chilling and I was glad I was not reading it alone in the room. The switch between past and…
Hayley_Simmons's rating:
Added Mar 30, 2018
Comment:
I'm intrigued by the lore around Blues music and the Crossroads so when I read the synopsis of this book, I thought I'd give it a read. It is a story about two men who make a fake recording of a song claiming it to be a long lost recording by an obscure Blues artist. A man contacts them about their song explaining to them that what they have recorded is in fact a real song and that there was only ever one recording of it. From there, the men experience strange and terrible events in connection to their recording. It was not quite what I expected, which is completely okay, but I did find It hard to follow. As a result, I kept getting distracted from the story as i was not engaged in it. Half way into the story, there is a jump from present day to the past and these jumps happen randomly throughout the book from then on. It was not evident however that this is what was happening and so there was some confusion as I was reading the second half of the story. It was an interesting concept for a story and explores themes of race and oppression.I'm intrigued by the lore around Blues music and the Crossroads so when I read the synopsis of this book, I thought I'd give it a read. It is a story about two men who make a fake recording of a song claiming it to be a long lost recording by an…
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