To briefly sum up some of my reading highlights in 2011, here are the winners in a few categories, with my brief Goodreads reviews attached (and if you want to see everything I read in 2011, you can check out my 2011 Reading Challenge bookshelf on Goodreads – and you can friend me over there, too):

Best New Book (published in 2011): Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

This book easily and thoroughly swept me up in its magic, transporting me directly into the times and places inhabited by its characters. Despite a few slower sections, the story was incredibly compelling and kept me on my toes right until the very end. The characters were excellently realized and although the period/cultural slang was a bit off-putting in the beginning, it quickly became very natural and definitely helped to immerse me in the story.

Best YA Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (tie)

Fascinating YA read for young adults and adults alike. Alexie’s characterization of Junior is flawless and engaging, and the story’s exploration of both race issues and the struggles of growing up is just as messy and compelling as real life. Really great read, and I look forward to reading more of Alexie’s books.

Absolutely fantastic book. A delight to read and incredibly enjoyable to try to unravel its very clever mystery. If you loved Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time as a kid (I know I did!), you definitely must read this. Its plot is integral to When You Reach Me, but Stead’s book is still extremely charming and clever even if you have no knowledge of its related predecessor. I read a lot of YA, but this is definitely one of the very best books of that genre that I’ve read in a while.

Best Canadian Book: The Incident Report by Martha Baillie

The concept of this novel was brilliant and expertly executed. Don’t for a second think that the storytelling might be limited by the incident report style – quite the opposite, in fact. Baillie’s prose is beautiful and detailed as she intertwines reports from her love life, her past, and actual library interactions. A quick and engaging read that you’ll easily gobble up.

Best Short Story Collection: Once by Rebecca Rosenblum

Such a wonderful debut collection of stories. Rebecca Rosenblum is all at once self-assured and tentative, harsh and tender. A captivating look at human relationships. I’m really looking forward to reading her new collection, The Big Dream.

And because I love stats, here’s a few key stats I pulled out from my 2011 reading list:

Fiction: 44
Non-Fiction: 6

Female Author: 36
Male Author: 14

Canadian Author: 28
Non-Canadian Author: 22

Adult Book: 30
YA/Kids Book: 20

Paperback/Hardcover: 33
E-Book: 17

As for 2012, I still have a goal of reading 50 books (and you can follow my 2012 Reading Challenge on Goodreads, too – I’m still currently on book #1, Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant), but I’m not sure if I should try to put any other structures around my to-read list. I want to continue reading at least 50% Canadian authors (I was at 56% in 2011), and I enjoyed reading 40% YA/Kids books last year. Looking at my stats, I feel like I should increase my non-fiction reading, but I rarely feel the pull towards non-fiction, like I do towards fiction.

What were some of your favourite reads in 2011? And what are your reading goals for 2012?

This may be a story about superheroes (and comic book fans will definitely love that aspect), but even more it’s a heartbreaking yet heartwarming tale of an outsider who must beat the odds in winning back his true love. Kaufman’s main character Tom is an everyman to the extreme, surrounded by the extraordinary – I mean, his friends are actually superheroes, from the Perfectionist to the Amphibian. Funny, sweet, and oh-so-relatable, Tom lives in a version of Toronto that you have to read to believe. I dare you to find a book that packs a better punch in only 100 pages.

Check out my full recommendation over on the Advent Book Blog…and if you want to buy the book (and I obviously think you should!) go on and buy it from Coach House Books, who just added it to their holiday sale thanks to my Advent Book Blog recommendation. If you buy it through their site before December 31, you’ll get 25% off the list price and it’s free shipping, too!

I’ve been a huge Muppets fan straight since childhood, so needless to say, I’ve been more than a little excited in these past couple of weeks leading up to the release of The Muppets tonight. I’ve been doing some excellent prep work, too:

• I watched the ever-wonderful The Muppet Movie, and the new-to-me yet totally amazing TV special The Muppets at Walt Disney World;
• I listened to awesome Muppet albums, like the recently released cover album, The Green Album and the great collection of classics, The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem & More! The 25th Anniversary Collection;
• I watched Kermit in interview with Jian Ghomeshi, Kermit in interview with George Stroumboulopoulos, and various Muppets make appearances on Saturday Night Live while Jason Segel hosted (the highlight of which was Really?!? with Seth & Kermit, which I can only find on the NBC site and can’t be viewed in Canada – BOO!);
• I bought both “Gettin’ Miss Piggy With It” and “Warm & Fozzie” from OPI’s The Muppets collection.

And now today, while preparing to do a rather generic “made me smile” post about the Muppets, I came across something that seriously made me smile. In conjunction with the official Muppets site, Disney has created a website for an online video project called The Never-Ending Mahna Mahna Phenomahna. It invites viewers to record their own version of them saying/singing/shouting “Mahna Mahna”, which it then adds to a never-ending loop of people singing “Mahna Mahna” with the original muppets spliced in between. The loop currently includes lots of average folks, and some fun celebrity drop-ins, too, including Jason Segel, Sarah Silverman, Bret McKenzie, Ken Jeong, and more. Oh, and me, it includes me.

I can’t embed it, unfortunately, but click here to see me make a fool of myself singing “Mahna Mahna”. AND, if you want to waste 3 minutes doing something fun, click on the button below my video that says “Join This One” and join my Mahna Mahna chain!

Want something to tell me in the comments other than how dorky my video is? Tell me about your love for the Muppets, your favourite Muppet, or your favourite Muppets song!

Those of you who know me well, likely know that I love postcards. What you might not have realized yet, however, is that I really like to start new blogs. It’s a bit of a strange habit, considering that so many people have trouble keeping up one blog, let alone multiple ones. But as I said to a friend recently, I often think of things in terms of “how can I put this on the internet”, so running several blogs makes sense for me.

But back to the postcards. This love was definitely fostered at a young age as my parents are avid postcard collectors, as well. For as long as I can remember, my parents’ fridge has been covered in postcards sent by family and friends on trips all around the world. So, naturally, I’ve begun to collect postcards on my own fridge, and now that my parents are retired, the majority of the cards I receive actually end up being from them! So since I’m fortunate enough to have a rather solid archive of postcards (and since I like to think about how I can put things on the internet), I recently decided to photograph my postcard collection and post them online, through a new blog I’ve called Picturing Postcards. In addition to posting the photos and a brief bit of information about who sent the postcard and where it’s from, I’m also adding each card to a public Google Map so that we can see where all my postcards have come from. I’ve only posted six cards so far, but the map is already looking really cool, if I may say so myself.

Currently I’m planning to post at least two new postcards a week – I’m hoping that once I finish cataloguing my archives, I’ll still be receiving enough new ones in the mail to maintain that schedule! And if you’re going a trip, why don’t you send me a postcard? Friends, don’t forget to email me and ask for my address!

On the second last day of my trip, my best friend and I spent the afternoon in Canmore, one of the most lovely little towns I’ve ever visited. Every which way you turn you’re surrounded by mountains. It’s truly magical. So while my friend and I were browsing through some cute gift shops, I noticed the most smile-worthy little notebook, pictured below:

It’s hard not to smile when reading a list of so many perfect things. Many of the items on this notebook would be on my happy list, too, but one run of five in a row particularly jumped out at me: ice cream sundaes, a good book, a cup of tea, a bubble bath, blue skies.

So I’m cheating and picking those five things…but still, I ask you: What is the one thing you think of that always makes you smile?

Anyway, about two years ago, I found out about an awesome monthly event in Toronto that would allow me to fulfill my love for dancing in a public, non-judgemental environment. Dance Dance Party Party Toronto has only three rules: no boys, no booze and no judgement. And every time I go, I always have one of the most fun Sunday afternoons ever.

So since I’m one of DDPP’s biggest fangirls, I was obviously ecstatic when I was recently asked to join the ranks of the Toronto organizers and become DDPP Toronto’s newest “den mother”. As a den mother, you’ll see me at almost all of the dance parties (not that I wasn’t almost always there before!), but I’ll also be helping with all the behind-the-scenes work of scheduling the dates, updating the website, making the playlists, and promoting like crazy. Since coming on board, I’ve set us up with a Twitter account, and if you’re into all things fun and dance-y, go follow us @DDPPToronto. You can also join our Facebook group, and follow our blog to keep up-to-date on our latest dance party news. Currently we’re running one dance party a month on a Sunday afternoon, but we’re considering moving to bi-weekly dance parties if we get enough demand!

So if you’re a lady who lives in or near Toronto, why don’t you come out and dance with us this Sunday, October 23? The party runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Mad For Dance (263 Adelaide St. W.) and admission is $8 at the door. Bring a gal pal with you and I guarantee that you’ll double your fun!

If you have any questions about DDPP, let me know! And if you’re looking for something to tell me in the comments, why not share your favourite guilty pleasure dance song?

As I try to breathe some new life into this blog (First step: redesign! I’m loving my new theme, and I hope you all do, too!), I’ve been trying to open my mind to new things that I might want to write about here and share with the world. One thing I’m always in search of, both online and off, are things that make me smile. I’m the kind of person that can easily let stress and worries get the best of me, so one of the ways I keep that under control is by focusing on finding things that make me smile, no matter how big or how small. To help spread some more happiness out into the world, I thought I’d start a regular blog feature where I can share things that “made me smile”, and I hope that they’ll help add some more smiles to your day, too.

For my inaugural “made me smile” post, I wanted to share my new favourite YouTube video meme, what I’m calling “The Disney Surprise”. Apparently there are tons of videos on YouTube featuring parents surprising their kids with trips to either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Most of these videos feature the parents telling the kids about the trip at home on the day they’re leaving, in the car on the way to the airport, or, in one of them, as they’re driving through the Walt Disney World gates. The sheer joy on these kids’ faces and their often priceless reactions make me smile so hard, and I want to share my top 3 favourites with you:

1. Lily’s Disneyland Surprise

Lily’s video was the first of these videos that I watched, and it not only made me smile, but it made me cry a bit, too. Lily’s reaction once she figures out her big birthday surprise is incredibly sweet and heartwarming.

2. Best Disney Surprise EVER!!!!!

The girl in this one is cute, but the boy is the BEST. Again, I love how he reacts when he figures it out. Priceless.

3. A Disney World Surprise

“You HAVE to be kidding!” I love this one because the kids pretty much refuse to believe their parents are telling the truth. So cute.

BONUS: Jamin’s Downtown Disney Flashmob Proposal

And this one’s a bonus because it’s just so adorable and sweet and totally made me smile (and cry, I’ll admit it!), even though it’s not part of “The Disney Surprise” meme. A flashmob dance + Disney + a cute proposal = win.

Tell me: What made you smile this week? Share something that made you smile in the comments!

Photo: Cinderella Castle in Technicolor by Peter E. Lee on Flickr

Bonus points for anyone who can find me in the above photo! Photo by Jon Lim.

Ladies Learning Code, “a collective of women working to empower everyone to feel comfortable learning basic, beginner-friendly technical skills in a social, collaborative way” has run two workshops so far in Toronto and I’ve happily attended and loved both. So far I’ve learned about HTML/CSS and JavaScript, and I just love the concept and atmosphere of learning about web development amongst other brilliant and fascinating women. I loved it so much, that I eagerly agreed to chat with the fantastic Bronwyn Kienapple last week for an article she was writing for Torontoist. The article came out this week, and here’s a sneak peek of what I had to say:

Two-time attendee Suzanne Gardner, a writer, editor, and social media marketer by trade, has no background in coding. She pins herself as a typical Ladies Learning Code workshopper: grateful to have a friendly space to test out the world of tech.

“Not that I would be against working with men, but I like that [female-only] aspect of Ladies Learning Code,” said Gardner. “I am a somewhat feminist so I like that it inspires women to enter this industry and educate themselves about web development.”

Clearly I write a bit better than I speak, because I would’ve sounded way less awkward if I had said “I consider myself to be somewhat of a feminist”. Honestly, self. Anyway, go read the rest of the article over at Torontoist. And if you’re in Toronto with nothing to do tonight, why not join me at the Ladies Learning Code Launch Party?

As part of Ada Lovelace Day, the Finding Ada site calls upon bloggers to share a story about a woman who has inspired them in becoming who they are today. And although I know I’m a few days late, I wanted to join in by talking about two females who have affected my life and development as a person, even though they’re fictional. Obviously there are lots of real-life women who have inspired me, as well, but when you’re as obsessed with books, TV and movies as I am, sometimes your brain instinctively goes the fictional route first. Even while rustling through the character card catalogue in my head, many worthy female candidates popped up (Buffy Summers and Sydney Bristow should both be honoured on a day that’s about ladies who kick ass…literally), but in keeping with the Ada Day theme, I decided to focus on two brainy girls that enchanted me as a child and have stuck with me through to today: Meg Murry (from Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quartet series) and Hermione Granger (from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series).

Meg Murry
I’ll start with Meg, as I suspect that less of you may be familiar with her. If I’m correct and you have no idea who Meg is, and you love sci-fi/fantasy YA fiction, get thee to your local library/bookstore, pronto. A Wrinkle in Time, the first book in the Time Quartet, was one of my favourite books as a child, and upon re-reading it a few years ago, I happily discovered that it was just as spellbinding as an adult. (One of my biggest fears as a reader and lover of children’s/young adult literature is that I’ll re-read a book I loved as a kid and find it now falls flat for me.)

Meg is the novel’s lead protagonist, an awkward and self-conscious teenager, whose parents claim she’s brilliant (and she is!), even though she does poorly at school (except in math). A Wrinkle in Time is the story of how Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin travel to other planets in order to rescue Meg’s father, a scientist who was experimenting with time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. When I first encountered this book as a child, I definitely could relate to Meg, except for the time and space travel part, unfortunately. But the nerdy, brainy, self-conscious parts? Yup, I had that covered. Yet despite the fact that Meg initially sees these elements of her personality as drawbacks, during the course of the novel she learns that her individuality is in fact an asset, not a liability. Meg’s bravery, loyalty and love, in addition to her smarts, help her succeed in this book, and I like to think that all of this helped me succeed as a teenager, too. Meg’s unlikely triumph helped me to believe, at a very young age, that I could work through my self-conscious tendencies, too…while also helping me realize that maybe being a nerd wasn’t so bad, after all.

Hermione Granger
In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the scoop: Hermione is one of the three main characters in the Harry Potter series, and is one of the smartest girls to hit the children’s lit market in years. If brainy is now considered cool, I think we all have Miss Granger to thank for that. I first met Hermione in 1999, when my sister Ali returned from a summer in the U.K. with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone tucked into her luggage. Ali had eagerly devoured the book while she was away, and quickly forced it upon her impressionable younger sister who was about to turn 14. Just like my sister, I fell in love with the book instantly, and, as a self-conscious, nerdy kid, I instantly related to Hermione.

Where Meg is definitely uncomfortable with her misfit status, Hermione, on the other hand, isn’t remotely ashamed of her know-it-all attitude and social ineptitude. And, as such, not only did I relate to Hermione, but I also immediately admired her ability to embrace all parts of her personality at such a young age. Hermione sometimes also used her encyclopedic brain as a security blanket of sorts, shielding herself from revealing her insecurities. And while I’d never claim to being as smart as the star pupil of Gryffindor, I can relate to hiding behind one’s brains occasionally. Hermione constantly inspires me not only to be brilliant, but to be as comfortable with my true self as she is.

Meg Murry and Hermione Granger are two fictional heroines who have helped inspire me to become the woman I am today. In honour of Ada Lovelace Day, what women, real or fictional, have inspired you? Tell me about them in the comments!

I’d really like to give this book a 4.5 rating, to be honest. I use the word “honest” because that’s what this book is: brutally, brutally honest. While I wasn’t thrilled with the ending and thought it was a bit too neat and tidy, this book kept me completely engaged from beginning to end. The characters were fantastically created and I feel like I’ll be seeing them randomly on the street, just like main character Tom Violet does with the characters in the novel he’s writing throughout the book. I was actually somewhat surprised by how engaged I was by this book, thinking that it might be too much of a stereotypical “guy” book for me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Norman’s style is very Nick Hornby-esque, and thus will be easily loved by men and women alike, even if his books continue to open with awkward chapters about erectile dysfunction! Laugh-out-loud funny and extremely relatable, I highly recommend this debut novel and look forward to more from the author.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the review copy!