Relaxing Reads

Since her Gran died a few months ago, 20 something Molly Gray has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for her job as a hotel maid. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.
But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had- unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black.
A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month on our Relaxing Reads podcast hosts Ann, Deb and Simone discuss The Most Precious Substance On Earth by Shashi Bhat. A humorous coming-of-age novel and a sharp-edged look at how silence can shape a life.
Nina, a bright, hilarious, and sensitive 14-year-old, doesn’t say anything when her best friend begins to pull away, or when her crush on her English teacher intensifies. She doesn’t say anything when her mother tries to match her up with local Halifax Indian boys unfamiliar with her Saved by the Bell references, or when her worried father starts reciting Hindu prayers outside her bedroom door.
And she won’t speak of the incident in high school that changes the course of her life.
On her tumultuous path from nineties high school student to present-day high school teacher, Nina will learn difficult truths about existing as a woman in the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month on our Relaxing Reads podcast hosts Ann, Deb and Simone discuss Dial A for Aunties by author Jesse Q. Sutanto - a super funny and quirky novel that is part thriller, part rom-com, and a celebration of mothers and daughters as well as a deep dive into Chinese-Indonesian culture.  When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it's accidentally shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy her Ma, and aunties are working, at an island resort on the California coastline. But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Such a great read. Plus we chat with Author Jesse Q. Sutanto about how she came up with this concept, her favourite moment in the book and about this novel becoming a Netflix film.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Relaxing Reads podcast hosted by Ann, Deb and Simone. This month they read The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. A feel-good, holiday-themed romantic comedy about identical twins who switch lives in the days leading up to Christmas It’s like Gilmore Girls meets the Parent Trap meets Cake Wars. We really enjoyed this one and were able to have Book authors Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley join us for a Q & A. Book Synopsis When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell--both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cathrin Bradbury's life imploded in the space of a few months. Her beloved parents died, her marriage limped to an end after twenty-five years, her heavily mortgaged house turned against her, and a promising new romance ended in crushing disappointment. But somewhere in that year, a new path, three or four, began to open up. It’s a lot to go through, but there is always a Bright Side and Cathrin joins Simone, Deb and Ann to share how she found it, during an intimate Q & A.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love. Poppy and Alex have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together. Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since. This is such a great summer beach read. We read it in record speed.  Listen to our thoughts on this steamy novel!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.  This was a page turner. We had a ton of questions – especially about the ending for Ashley who joins us during our chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A novel of orphans and widows, terror and hope, and the relationships that hold us together when things fall apart. This took us a little time to get into, but it did not disappoint especially the plot twist in the end.  This book also looks at a part of a very interesting piece of history in Canada when it comes to home children ad paupers’ auctions. Beth also joins us to chat!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle—once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar—chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. Simone read this book in two days! It’s just such an eye-opener and inspirational story. Highly recommend!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives will change forever. Wow what a party – this book had a lot of family drama and a party we wish we could have attended.  We laughed a lot during our chat – this book was good!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.