Sweetness in the Belly

 
Sweetness in the Belly (Anchor Canada, 2005) by Camilla Gibb
The story of Lilly, an orphan whose remarkable life takes her from Ethopia to England, touched many readers. Lynne Inkster was one of them, writing:
"I admire Camilla Gibb's writing skills that transported me to an Ethiopian walled village (as well as an immigrant enclave in London) by invoking the sights, sounds and smells so well that I can still smell the dust and hear the squabbling. I highly recommend this novel to all Canadian readers."
Accolades: Sweetness in the Belly won Ontario's Trillium Book Award and was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. The Ottawa Citizen loved it too, writing, ""A marvellous, highly absorbing read bound to strike up conversations at award time."

This was a lovely book to read.  I really enjoyed reading about a topic and a religion that I didn't know anything about.  Very much recommend!

The Best Laid Plans

The Best Laid Plans (McClleland & Stewart, 2008) by Terry Fallis
This previously self-published satire introduces us to a political strategist turned campaign manager who secretly wants everything to go very, very wrong (and, of course, it just happens to go very, very right). Barbara Brown enjoyed Terry Fallis's tale and thinks you will too, writing:
"It's been a long time since I've read anything that has made me laugh like this satirical novel! And yet there are some beautifully poignant moments mixed in to create a great snapshot of life, love and politics in Canada — quite the mix! And very difficult to put down once started — all in all a wonderful read and I've recommended to everyone I know. I only hope this is the beginning of a wonderful writing career for Terry Fallis."
Accolades: The Best Laid Plans was officially declared the funniest book in Canada in 2008 when it snagged the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Terry Fallis also emerged from his humble self-published roots with a book deal and legions of fans, including Canada's U.N. ambassador, Allan Rock, who called it "a great read for anyone thinking of running for office, and especially reassuring for those who have decided not to."

Loved this book!  I am definitely not a political junkie but this book was so well written and enjoyable that you don't have to like politics at all.  In fact, I think I actually learned a little!