Hello, hello, hello!

“I’m more of a thistle-peony-basil kind of girl.” – The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Thank you for stopping by to check out the first-ever Bonus Book post on my blog!  These are the books that I have read, loved and end up recommending to people over and over again. I hope that you find something here that appeals to you so you can add it to your own “To Read Pile”. Bonus Book posts will be short – they are essentially my elevator pitch to convince (or beg) you to read these books. So, here goes…

Why I love The Language of Flowers (and you should too):

My favorite novels usually have unusual main characters or story lines – this book has both. The protagonist, Victoria, has aged-out of the foster care system and the novel traces her experiences trying to navigate the world on her own. Victoria’s interest in the Victorian practice of using flowers to express emotion connects the reader to the characters and creates a surprisingly beautiful juxtaposition to the often difficult situations she has to overcome. The shifts in narrative from Victoria’s past to present are compelling and Diffenbaugh’s writing immersed me in the story from the first chapter. This is a novel about healing, human connection and struggling to overcome the past. By choosing to have Victoria grow up in foster care, Diffenbaugh also gives voice to that experience, often overlooked in our society, in a way that is deeply empathetic. When I first picked up The Language of Flowers, I could not get through it fast enough; Victoria’s story has stayed with me for years and I think it’s because through her, Diffenbaugh creates an unexpected story of strength and redemption that is both unique and ultimately very human.

So there it is – my pitch to you. I hope some of you go pick up The Language of Flowers and if you do, please let me know what you think!

I’d would really like to hear which books you love to recommend to others – maybe one will appear in another Bonus Book post. Post a comment or message me and let me know. Until next time, happy reading!

P.S. Pottery mugs are the other thing I just can’t resist. The one pictured above is one of my favourites created by Wabi Scotia Pottery.