Ève GaronNow that the sunshine and hot weather have returned, I only have one wish: to sit on my swing chair in my backyard with my little four-month-old resting against me and to get back into reading. Every six months I try to find time to do it. I’ll admit that I’m not always focused or motivated, but it’s worth giving it a try!
I wanted to share with you some of my favourite books for the summer: one non-fiction book, a kid’s book, a cooking book and my all-time favourite novel!
So that you can get back into reading again as well. ?
This spring I read a book that shook me to my core, but in a good way. I know it sounds weird, but I swear it can be good to be shaken sometimes! That’s what happened to me after reading “Le gouffre lumineux” by Anick Lemay. You probably remember her as the actress from the hit show Mauvais Karmaor more recently from the seriesL’Échappée. Now I invite you to rediscover her as a very talented author.
On March 5, 2018, Anick went through one of life’s toughest ordeals: a cancer diagnostic. Since living was of the utmost importance to her, she decided to roll up her sleeves and to give everything she had to fight. In collaboration with the magazine Urbania, she wrote many articles that allowed us to follow her on her journey. A year later, the articles were regrouped to make a book full of hope and raw truth, without any frill. It’s a book that made me want to read again and even to write for myself because life is really the only truth worth living.
I’ve always liked reading stories to my boy, ever since he was little. He has an unparalleled sense of humour and a wild imagination for his age. Last year, while visiting the Salon du livre de Québec, I found a book that would keep him interested. It’s called “Le pire livre du monde” and was written and illustrated by Elise Gravel. She is known for other youth books that are fun, but that also get you thinking, such as “Tu peux,” “La tribu qui pue” and “Une patate à vélo”. “Le pire livre du monde” was at the heart of a lot of good laughs in our household, even after many reads.
The book is about two characters, Poitrick and Barbotte, who go through a very cheesy story of a princess and a knight in shining armour. There are also three little characters (I’ll leave you the pleasure of discovering them yourself) who witness the story unfolding before their eyes without being able to do anything about it except whatever the author makes them do. It is really easy to get into the characters to read the story to your kids. The lines will make everyone laugh without a doubt and will make the bedtime routine more enjoyable. A must for family evenings.
The third book I want to share with you is a cooking book you’ll want to refer to again and again. When summer arrives, what could be better than great refreshing recipes for salads, pokes or tacos? That’s everything “La cuisine fraîcheur du Venice” by Charles Manceau has to offer. The Venice is a trendy neighbourhood of Los Angeles, but it is also a restaurant with two establishments in Montréal since 2017.
Charles, the restaurant’s chef, decided to bring us into his world, much to our (tastebuds’) delight. I like taking a look at this book and its mouth-watering pictures to get inspiration for my own recipes, or following the recipes to a T to impress my guests. I already plan on making the chicken tacos for my next get-together.
When I think of a book I want everyone to discover, this is the one that comes to my mind. When I think of an author that makes me laugh, cry, shiver (and that made me starstruck last year at the Salon du livre), the author of this book is the one I think of. The title of the book is “La tendresse attendra”, written by Matthieu Simard. You might have heard of Matthieu for his most recent novel, “Les écrivements”, or for “Ça sent la coupe”, which was adapted for the big screen with Louis-José Houde as the main character.
“La tendresse attendra” tells the story of a heartbreak. Not very appealing, you might say. However, Matthieu guides you through the story with humour and outstanding sensibility. I don’t want to give too much away about the story so you can take pleasure in discovering it at your own pace. Just know that I cried quite a bit after finishing it (which had never happened to me before) and that the story really helped me grow. It’s a book that I won’t forget anytime soon.
I hope my suggestions will encourage you to take a bit of time with your children, in the kitchen or by yourself to rediscover the joys of reading.
Have a great literary summer!
This post was translated from French to English by:
Isabelle Watchman
Isabelle, 24 years old. I’m an easy-going girl; quick-witted and a devoted fan of puns. As much as I enjoy staying home binge-watching series and reading novels, I also love traveling and discovering new things.
Sacha Nadeau
Léa Nadeau
