Family Day often gets overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This year, Family Day falls on a Monday, Feb 20, which provides the perfect opportunity to spend a long weekend relaxing, sitting by the fire, and reading some great titles with your loved ones.

Enjoy a book together or just enjoy each others’ company as you delve into your own read. This Family Day, take a break from running around, get cozy with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate, and grab any one of these great titles.

Children

For Very Young Children:

My First NHL Books by Christopher Jordan is a series of six NHL board books. What better way to introduce your child to the action-packed world of hockey than through this new series aimed at the youngest of hockey fans? Perfect for ages 2-4.

Hop, Skip and Jump, Maisy! by Lucy Cousins is a Maisy First Science Book. Ages 2-5 are encouraged to channel their energy into into stretching, jumping, running, playing ball, jumping rope, somersaulting, and lots more with Maisy the Mouse.

Demolition by Sally Sutton is the perfect title for little boys and girls, aged 3-5, who love big machines. This rambunctious book, reverberates with sound words, and is guaranteed to have small kids rapt.

For Young Children:

10 Valentine Friends by Janet Schulman is a great Valentine’s Day read for children aged 3-8. 10 little neighbors are busy making Valentines for their closest friends and everyone is sure to get a Valentine at the big Valentine’s Day party.

The Lorax Pop-Up! by Dr. Seuss is a classic Dr. Suess title with a pop-up twist. Children, aged 3-8, will love the dynamic pop-up spreads.

For Older Children:

The Ecosystems Series by Karen Patkau features Who Needs a Jungle?, Who Needs a Swamp? and Who Needs an Iceberg? It is a fabulous series for boys and girls, aged 7-10, who are curious about the environment.

Who Will Save My Planet? by Cristina Urrutia is a unique and powerful wordless book that uses striking photos to show the impact of humans on the environment. It is just the title for your little green activist, aged 7 plus.

For Young Adults:

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini tells the story of Eragon, who not so very long ago, was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong is set in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. Recently strange things started happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya’s determined to get to the bottom of them.

In The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters, Katie likes to believe she’s invisible. It safer than being exposed as who she is: shy, poor, and vulnerable. So getting up in front of audience as the lead in her school’s production of The Taming of the Shrew should be complete torture but something totally unexpected happens when she gets on stage.

For Her:

The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak reveals that behind every great ruler lies a betrayal. You’ll be swept into the passionate, intimate, and treacherous world of Catherine the Great, Russia’s greatest matriarch, from her earliest days in court.

Ru by Kim Thuy will take you on an unforgettable journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec; where a young girl feels the embrace of a new community, and revels in the chance to be part of the American Dream.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James is a marvellous, thrilling re-creation of the world of Pride and Prejudice. The year is 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years. They have two handsome, healthy sons, but their peace is threatened and old sins and misunderstandings are rekindled on the eve of the annual autumn ball.

For Him:

The Accident by Linwood Barclay centres around Glen who is propelled into a vortex of corruption and illegal activity, pursued by mysterious killers, and confronted by threats from neighbors he thought he knew. He must now take desperate measures and go to terrifying new places in himself to avenge his wife and protect his child.

Into the Silence by Wade Davis is a monumental work of history and adventure, ten years in the writing. Wade Davis asks not whether George Mallory was the first to reach the summit of Everest, but rather why he kept on climbing on that fateful day. His answer lies in a single phrase uttered by one of the survivors as they retreated from the mountain: “The price of life is death.”

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo is another gripping installment in this prize-winning series by the internationally #1 bestselling crime writer in Norway. Two women are found murdered in Oslo — both of them have drowned in their own blood. What mystifies the police is that the puncture wounds in the victims’ faces have been caused from the inside of their mouths.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Alex Delaware
Forensic Psychologist, LAPD

Home Base:
Los Angeles California

Personal Life:
Single but avid dater, Alex for a long time was in an on again off again  relationship with Robin Castagna but most recently has been dating Dr. Alison Gwynn, also a clinical psychologist.  His most enduring relationship is with his French bulldog named Spike and much of Alex’s empathetic personality comes out in they’re interactions.  He is at his best when interacting with children and is drawn to cases that involve psychological harm in childhood.

Bad Habits:
None to speak off (unless you count serial dating) and only cynical when it come to bad guys.

Ever present sidekick:
Appearing in all the Alex Delaware novels is friend and fellow detective Milo Sturgis. Described as a career policeman and a ambling giant of a man who just happens to be gay, Milo is often the person who saves Alex from physical harm.

Dilemma:
The darkest Delaware novel yet. “This one was different,” Alex observes at the start of the case. This one will haunt his waking life, and his darkest dreams, long after its end.

What’s Next?
You never have to wait long for a new Jonathan Kellerman novel but while you wait why not pick up one of his previous 23 books? They all stand the test of time and once you start reading them you won’t be able to stop.

Circle the globe using only your palette. What better way to experience the planet than with your taste buds? Armchair travelers can now crisscross the earth with Natalie Maclean’s delicious wine choices from some of the world’s most popular regions. The best part? Each wine is under $30! Bottom’s up!

Australia

Insider tips Look for wines from warm regions, like the Barossa Valley. Often the cost of production is cheaper because winemakers aren’t battling disease, rot, and weather as much as cool climate producers do. Therefore, there’s less crop loss and lower costs for production.

When it’s cold outside, drink wine from warm regions and when it’s warm, go for those from cooler climates. You’ll drink the full-bodied, soul-warming styles that are comforting in the winter and the lighter, more refreshing ones in the summer. The bonus is that these wines also complement the dishes we eat in the different seasons.

Twist and shout when you see a bottle closed with a screw cap! No longer does a screw cap necessarily mean that the wine is plonk. Many good producers are using this effective closure to protect their wine. The bonus is that no special equipment is needed to open your bottle.

Top Pick Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon
Score 90/100
Price $14.95
Alcohol 14%
Sweetness Dry
Drink Now

Deep ruby purple color; dry and full-bodied with medium tannins, ripe blackberry and oaky vanilla aromas and flavors; long finish. Vanilla-cherry and cool mint on the nose, followed by lovely ripe blackberries and plums on the palate, rich, smooth and inviting. Food matches: prime rib, pot roast, brisket, red meats grilled or roasted; strong cheeses.

Germany

Insider tips Look for labels that have illegible gothic script and impossibly long names that are difficult to pronounce in the liquor store (or anywhere else). Few people can read them, so they don’t buy the wines and demand doesn’t push up prices.

Wines that had a bad reputation several decades ago are behind the eight ball in trying to reposition themselves as good-quality producers at reasonable prices.

Low-alcohol wines are often your most versatile food-wise because they can go with so many lighter dishes that we enjoy today without overwhelming their flavours.

Top Pick St. Urbans-Hof Kabinett Riesling
Price $21.95
Alcohol 8%
Sweetness Medium Dry

Riesling is a noble grape that produces some of the world’s finest, most long-lived whites. A light, vibrant white wine that often has citrus, floral and mineral notes. It’s mostly associated with Germany, but other well-known regions making it include Alsace, Washington, Niagara, Finger Lakes, Okanagan and Australia’s Clare Valley and Eden Valley. Styles range from bone dry to intensely sweet. Aromas and flavors include apricot, peach, wet slate, minerals, flowers and petrol (when it’s aged).

St. Urbans-Hof Kabinett Riesling offers enticing peach, apricot, lime, and slate aromas and flavors, with a touch of vanilla cream. Creamy, yet bright and pure, with persistence and a complex finish.

Canada

Insider tips While $25 to $40 a bottle may not seem like an inexpensive wine, value is relative. Pinot noir is expensive to grow and make. Niagara pinots are a bargain compared to those in Burgundy, which easily top $50 a bottle as a starting price.

When a region is stereotyped for one kind of wine, in Niagara’s case icewine, look for what else it does well, such as pinot noir and riesling. These are the best supporting actors that often offer stellar performances in the glass.

Growing grapes organically doesn’t guarantee you a better or more healthful wine, but it does mean that the producer is paying close attention to the vine health and the winemaking process. That increases your odds of getting a better-quality wine.

Top Pick Malivoire Wine Company Courtney Gamay 2003
Score 92/100
Price $26.95
Alcohol 13.5%
Sweetness Dry
Drink Now

Surprisingly terrific: This wine has opened my eyes to the potential of Gamay in Niagara. It’s nothing like Beaujolais. Try it and you’ll be hooked. Lovely aromas of black raspberry, blackcurrant and some pepper notes. Stunning!

South Africa

Insider tips International trade bans are tough on any country, but it can motivate domestic industries to be more competitive afterward. South African wine has made amazing progress since the end of Apartheid.

Check your perceptions of which regions can make wine: South Africa benefits from the confluence of the oceans as well as the cooling breeze of the Antarctic. Who would have thought that this created ideal conditions for growing wine? Now you know.

There are so many terrific South African wines on the shelves these days. Start out with the familiar grapes, such as sauvignon blanc, shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon. Then, as you discover the producers you like best, branch out into their chenin blanc and pinotage wines.

Top Pick Goats do Roam Shiraz Blend 2007
Score 87/100
Price $12.95
Alcohol 14%
Sweetness Extra Dry
Drink Now

A supple, medium- to full-bodied red with attractive notes of black plums and berries. Judicious and well-integrated use of oak. This wine would please many palates at a party.

Italy

Insider tips Ultra-fashionable wine regions often get all the attention for any particular country, as do Italy’s Tuscany and Piedmont and France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy. Look for the lesserknown regions for your best-value bottle, like Sicily in Italy and southern France’s Languedoc-Rousillon.

Some of the most ancient wine-producing regions are now the “newest” ones in that they’ve revitalized their techniques and styles. The advantage is that they have a deep knowledge of their soils and grapes, and often, family-run operations aren’t paying high capital costs since these have been paid off long ago.

Regional food and wine matches often make sense since the food and wine “grew up” together in the same soils and climatic conditions. It’s not a rigid rule, but a great starting point when you’re looking for pairings.

Top Pick Ajello Majus Nero D’avola 2006
Score 90/100
Price $16.95
Alcohol 14%
Sweetness Dry
Drink Now

Deep ruby with clear aromas of ripe black plums, bittersweet chocolate, and earthy herbal layers mixed in. Dry, with very lively fruit and acidity, and pleasant chocolate replays on the finish. Enjoy it tonight with sausages or grilled lamb marinated in rosemary and garlic. Generous and juicy, loaded with fleshy black raspberries and blackberries. Smooth and generous with a satisfyingly long finish. Food matches: peppercorn steak, rare roast beef, bison.

Argentina

Insider tips Take a chance on lesser-known grapes. Varieties like malbec just don’t have the “brand awareness” and cachet of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Therefore, producers must compete more aggressively on price. In this book, you’ll discover lots of grapes that you may not have heard of before.
Go for regions where the currency gives you an advantage. Canadian and American dollars are much stronger than Argentina’s pesos, so that builds in another discount on the import cost.

Look for late-bloomers: regions that entered the North American wine market after a number of other countries had already established themselves. These newcomers have to prove themselves, both in terms of price and quality.

Top Pick Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec 2007
Score 92/100
Price $19.95
Alcohol 14%
Sweetness Extra Dry
Drink 2009-2014

Great depth and complexity with full-bodied aromas of dark fruit, coffee and vanilla spice. Supple and generous texture with amazing concentration of flavors. Balanced with great length on the finish. Food matches: asado (barbecue) steak, pasta with tomato-meat sauce, bacon dishes.

Portugal

Insider tips Ten-year-old tawnies represent the best values on the liquor store shelf because the prices of tawny port roughly double with every decade, but their quality doesn’t.

Portugal’s native grapes are not well-known to North Americans, but that translates to great values. Varieties like tinta roriz and tinta barroca just don’t have the “brand awareness” and cachet of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Therefore, producers must compete more aggressively on price.

The best-known vintages for port will always command the highest prices, just as they do in Bordeaux and Tuscany. So seek out the well-rated vintages close to a star vintage. For example, 2007 is considered one of the best in decades, so try 2006.

Top Pick Sandeman Vau Vintage Port 2000
Score 94/100
Price $29.955
Alcohol 20%
Sweetness Sweet
Drink Now

Love it! Savoury cherry liqueur with cedar goodness. Rich layers with a long finish.

France

Insider tips Forget those notions of pink wine being sweet: today’s rosés are bone-dry and refreshing. With Provence, you’re guaranteed to get a dry rosé.

Look for wines that have never been taken seriously by connoisseurs, always considered lightweights. You’ll find pleasure at a pittance there.

Rosé is best served chilled, as it’s more refreshing. So here’s a tip that will give wine snobs a coronary: if your wine’s too warm, drop an ice cube in it for ten seconds, then scoop it out. It has an immediate chilling effect and doesn’t dilute the flavours—and after all, we’re not trying to ice Château Margaux, just an everyday good value wine. Consider this your license to chill.

Top Pick St. Tropez Carte Noir Rose 2006
Score 86/100
Price $14.85
Alcohol 13%
Sweetness Extra Dry
Drink Now

A light, simple, refreshing rose with pretty aromas of strawberries. Food matches: veal tenderloin, grilled white fish, herbed chicken, garden salad.

Excerpted from Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean. Copyright © 2012=1 by Natalie MacLean. Excerpted by permission of Doubleday Canada, a division of Random House of Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

For more great lifestyle tips & recipes, sign up for our Joie de Vivre newsletter!

1.Improved structure—Compost breaks up clay and clods and binds together sandy soil. It helps make proper aeration in clayey and sandy soil possible.

2. Moisture retention—Compost holds 6 times its own weight in water. A soil with good organic matter content soaks up rain like a sponge and regulates the supply to plants. A soil stripped of organic matter resists water penetration, thus leading to crusting, erosion, and flooding.

3. Aeration—Plants can obtain 96% of the nutrients they need from the air, sun, and water. A loose, healthy soil assists in diffusing air and moisture into the soil and in exchanging nutrients. Carbon dioxide released by organic matter decomposition diffuses out of the soil and is absorbed by the canopy of leaves above in a raised bed mini-climate created by closely spaced plants.

4. Fertilization—Compost contains some nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur, but is especially important for trace elements. The important principle is to return to the soil, by the use of plant residues and manures, all that has been taken out of it.

5. Nitrogen storage—The compost pile is a storehouse for nitrogen. Because it is tied up in the compost-breakdown process, water-soluble nitrogen does not leach out or oxidize into the air for a period of 3 to 6 months or more—depending on how the pile is built and maintained.

6. pH buffer—A good percentage of compost in the soil allows plants to grow better in less-than-optimal pH situations.

7. Soil toxin neutralizer—Important recent studies show that plants grown in organically composted soils take up less lead, heavy metals, and other urban pollutants.

8.Nutrient release—Organic acids dissolve soil minerals and make them available to plants. As organic matter decomposes, it releases nutrients for plant uptake and for the soil microbial population.

9. Food for microbial life—Good compost creates healthy conditions for organisms that live in the soil. Compost harbors earthworms and beneficial fungi that fight nematodes and other soil pests.

10.Ultimate in recycling—The Earth provides us with food, clothing, and shelter, and we close the cycle in offering fertility, health, and life through the shepherding of materials.

Excerpted from How to Grow More Vegetables, Eighth Edition by John Jeavons. Copyright © 2012 by John Jeavons. Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

For more great lifestyle tips & recipes, sign up for our Joie de Vivre newsletter!

Unique in an age when stories are gleaned from headlines and tweets, Jeanette Winterson’s memoir is a deeply personal account of a life spent challenging the question Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

In 1985, Winterson’s semi-autobiographical book, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was published and won the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel. Twenty-six years later, Winterson gives readers an intimate look at the story behind the story. She relates what has driven her brilliant career and fuelled her quest for identity and belonging.

Many chapters of Winterson’s life are unbelievably grim but the autobiography—like its sardonic title—is also cuttingly funny and filled with emotional acuity. As a contemporary Scheherazade, Winterson inspires us to have the courage to shape and share our stories. What I loved about this book is that it is more than a memoir, it is also about our will to love and the tough decisions we make along the way.

If you like Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? check out Evelyn Lau’s memoir Inside Out.