We featured one of our all time favourite authors, Michael Ondaatje. Packed with fun goodies it was a great summer read.

*Novel: Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

As lovers of Ondaatje’s writing we wanted to share this magnificent piece of literature with you. As the narrator, Nathaniel says, “We order our lives with barely held stories,” and Warlight is a novel of stories and lives pieced together in post-WWII London. We see adventure, suspense, and at it’s essence, a story of a young boy growing up, then piecing together his mother’s life after her death.

If this is your first Ondaatje novel you will find yourself caught up in his poetic style, but perhaps at times overwhelmed by detail and imagery. Take your time, soak in the words and revel in the story.

The items we chose to pair with Warlight are designed to fit the setting and story. While Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka he is a Member of the Order of Canada

What’s in the box?

Peach and Rhubarb Tea – London Tea – Delicious hot or iced this Peach and Rhubarb tea is perfectly delicious.

Dry Gin Fizz Gummies - SugarSin - The classic British drink in a gummy is perfect for a summertime treat while reading Warlight. *Non-Alcoholic

V&A Ribbon Bookmark – Victoria & Albert Museum – The leading museum of art and design located in London designed these beautiful bookmarks. Assorted designs.

Warlight Candle – FromthePage – We love these custom candles made by Etsy Shop FromthePage ‘Candles for Bookish Souls’ - the perfect light to read by and a way to bring light to the shadow cast by war.

*Unwind Coaster – Cedar Mountain – We chose these coasters because they reminded us of time taken by Nathaniel’s mother (Rose) once she stepped away from being a spy. We hope they remind you to take a bit of ‘me time’ this summer.

*Sunflower Microgreens – Gift-a-Green – Nathaniel’s journey takes him to Marsh Felon as he works to piece together his mother’s life. We chose these greens as they represent; mailed letters, growing and gifts.

*A Canadian company

The warm summer weather is perfect for reading at the beach. We created our Beach Reads Box to celebrate everything we love about summer and some fun items to keep you feeling summery all year long.

Limited Edition Beach Reads Box – June 2019

Novel: The Unhoneymooners

Written by a pair of best friends, Christina and Lauren write a seamless novel with a great premise – two unlikely travel companions end up going on a Honeymoon together to Hawaii. Part romance, and part humour, the novel is a great beach read. Plus, this cover is just so beautiful we know you’ll love to be seen reading The Unhoneymooners anywhere this summer.

What’s in the box?

Lemonade – Gourmet du Village

There is nothing like a glass of cold lemonade on a hot summer’s day. Grab your favourite pitcher and mix up this classic summer drink. *

Lemon Zest Cookies – Sprucewood Handmade Cookie Co.

Bursting with flavour these lemon cookies are the perfect pairing for your lemonade. *

Reusable Straws – Kikkerland

Perfect for a smoothie or frosty beverage these reusable straws will come in handy. Bright, fun and eco-friendly too.

Unicorn Inflatable Drink Holder – NPW

Floating drinks are the next best things to a swim-up bar. Float your lemonade at the beach or pool.

Pineapple Hot/Cold Pack – Kikkerland

Whether you use this to help cool down on a hot day or pack it in your lunch bag this pineapple hot/cold pack is versatile, fun and tropical.

Beach Babe Hand Cream – Walton Wood

Ready to smell like the tropics? You’ll love this ‘beachy’ hand cream any time of year. Made in Canada and packed with pineapple goodness it is ideal for your beach bag. *

Today is a Great Day Sticker – Stickers Northwest Inc.

Adorn your laptop, agenda, or workspace with this sunny sticker. Palm trees and sunshine will remind you that today is always a great day. *

*A Canadian company

Novel: Foe

Foe is the first novel we’ve read by Canadian author Iain Reid. From the first page we were instantly drawn in and literally could not put the book down until we found out what happened to Junior and Hen. Reid is a master of suspense building the novel and the characters along the way. We are drawn into Junior and Hen’s story and begin to wonder what Terrance really has in store for Junior. *

What’s in the box?

Dark Roast – Birch Bark Coffee – Coffee is the central drink in the novel. While coffee was a natural choice, we looked for a unique producer. Birch Bark Coffee is a Canadian Indigenous coffee company offering Fair Trade Organic. With a focus clean water for indigenous communities Birch Bark Coffee gives back. *

Collage Caramel Bar – Milka – While sweets are not central to the book we wanted to include one of our favourites. This Swiss milk chocolate with caramel is out of this world.

Rural Roots Lip Balm – Walton Wood – With a rural setting this all-natural lip balm is the perfect choice to keep your lips hydrated while working outside. *

Making a List – Little Blue House – Junior’s chickens give him purpose and a semblance of a regular life. Combine a farmhouse style this list will keep all your details in check. *

Stars Socks – Little Blue House – With an element of otherworldliness Foe had us thinking about the stars and what lies beyond them. We hope you stargaze wearing these lightweight socks on a summer’s evening. *

Home Sweet Home Mug – Now Designs – This diner mug invokes the comfort of home and a great cup of coffee before starting your day. Reveal in the joy of home with your deal coffee in the kitchen or relaxing on the porch. *

Mystique Pencil Pouch – Danica Studio – We were drawn to the magical elements in this pouch’s design. Perfect for the themes in Foe and ideal for holding your favourite writing utensils. *

* A Canadian Company

For Father's Day we released a limited edition Men's Box. While we don't think of Sweet Reads as a gender based subscription box we wanted this edition to be specifically suited to our male subscribers, or those interested in crime fiction.

Limited Edition Men’s Box

Novel: Dark Sacred Night

A captivating read by Michael Connelly from a popular series with over twenty books. While we don’t normally use a series book in the box we felt this novel stood apart because of the introduction of a new protagonist, Renee Ballard who teams with Harry to solve a cold case. Dark Sacred Night lives up to the Harry Bosch cadre, with descriptions of Los Angeles and the characters, that make both, come alive. Pair with some fun and delicious treats we hope you love our first Limited Edition Men’s Box.

What’s in the box?

Salted Caramel Honeycomb Dips – Mighty Fine - We wanted to get this sweet into a box because we love it. The lightness of the honeycomb with the chocolate and caramel and sea salt is heavenly. While it does not directly relate to the story (and donuts don’t ship well) we chose this sweet to pair with a great coffee. Our friends at our local roaster, Kyoto Coffee helped us pick a winning brew.

Papua New Guinea with Salted Caramel Organic - Kyoto Coffee - Cofee and cops are like peanut butter and jelly they just go together. This coffee was chosen to compliment and accentuate the flavour of the Salted Caramel Honeycomb Dips. Papua New Guinea sourced; it has a mild flavour. *

Coffee Themed Socks – Hatley, Little Blue House - The coffee theme continues with these coffee socks. We might have gone with donut socks but thought that might be a bit unfair to the police. Perfect with jeans, show off your love of coffee with style. *

Mug Shot Mug – Hatley, Little Blue House - This humorous mug featuring a bear having his mug shot taken couldn’t be more police themed. Channel your own inner detective with your morning coffee. Did you know truckers use the term Smokey the Bear when talking to each other on their radios to refer to the police? *

Men Don’t Stink Soap - Walton Wood Farms - Both Renee and Harry take showers in the book to get rid of the smell from crime scenes. This manly soap will leave you as clean as a (police) whistle. *

*A Canadian company

Novel: The Great Alone

From the first page we were instantly drawn into the time and place of the novel. The location, the era and the characters are expertly crafted. With relationships at the centre of this novel, Kristin Hannah’s beautiful writing creates a captivating story that is at times harsh, horrible and filled with love. We were so impressed by the novel that we couldn’t wait for the paperback release. While The Great Alone is a difficult read ** and a heartbreaking story we hope you love it as much as we did.

**This novel contains material about domestic violence that may be a trigger for some readers.

What’s in the box?

Sea Salt Toffee – Templeman’s Toffee

Surrounded by salt water, Ernt, Leni and Cora live off the fish they catch. We’ve tried candied Salmon and we felt this would be a better sweet! *

Northern Lights Coffee – Muskoka Roastery

The Northern Lights are a regular occurrence in Alaska making this the perfect brew for this novel. *

Arrow Page Mates – Peter Pauper Press

With a retro/1970’s feel to the pattern these page mates are perfect for marking your favourite spots in the novel or journal. Plus, they make handy bookmarks too.

Matchbook Pads – Kikkerland

Living off the land, matches were crucial to survival. While these matchbooks won’t start a fire they make a great notepad for reminders, love notes and more.

Journal – Ecojot

A journal focused on love would be perfect for Leni and Matthew to write to each other. The retro artwork made this beautiful recycled and hand made journal a great tie in to the novel. *

Sweet Reads Pen

Perfect for journaling, writing a love note or making notes in your novel.

*Denotes a Canadian Company

-- Photo from @biblio.virgo

Why Lying in Wait?

The story of a murder and its aftermath told from three different but intertwined perspectives. Taking place primarily in Dublin, Ireland, author Liz Nugent expertly weaves the three central stories together. From the first line of this novel we know you will be hooked. Grab your sweet, your hot chocolate and get ready for a superb psychological thriller you cannot put down.

What’s in the box?

Milk of the Stars/Sea Flakes - Willie’s Cocoa

This artisan chocolate bar is imported from the U.K. and we could see Laurence favouring such a sweet.

Irish Cream Hot Chocolate - Gourmet Du Village

Arguably one of the best-known beverage flavours from Ireland. Enjoy a cup of Irish Cream while reading Lying in Wait.

Pill Box - NPW

Pills play a prominent part in this story. This handy pillbox is perfect for pocket or purse when you do not need to carry the whole bottle.

Claddagh Socks - Socksmith

Irish themed socks to get your Irish on any day. The Claddagh is said to symbolize love, loyalty and friendship – a concept that ties many of this months’ characters together.

Irish Accent Gum - Blue Q

While imaging Irish accents for the characters of this novel why not chew a piece of this gum and try one on for yourself?

Milk and Honey Cleansing Bar – The Perth Soap Co.

A beautiful cleansing bar from a favourite Canadian company, we could see Lydia using a product like this to keep her hands looking youthful.

Clover Pins - Kikkerland

The four-leaf clover is synonymous with Ireland. These pins can come in handy to post pictures like we imagined Laurence did of Karen.