The Alchemist’s Dream is a YA novel by John Wilson set during the exploration for a Northwest Passage. When a greedy sailor returns to London from a voyage to Hudson’s Bay in 1669 and shows up at Robert Bylot’s door, Bylot is thrown into a whirlwind of memories. We follow Bylot through his life: meeting and studying with Dee, The Alchemist; Bylot’s desire to sail the oceans, and his friendships with explorers John Davis and Henry Hudson; and most of all — the truth behind the fateful journey in 1611 to find the pathway to the Pacific.

This novel was well-written and the story was complete, and it was a good read — I’d recommend it for children aged 8 – 12. I really liked the structure of the novel; It started at the beginning of the end in 1669, then flashed back to Robert Bylot’s childhood, his studies, his voyages, his journey with Hudson in 1611, and concluding by answering Bylot’s nagging question in his aged body: Did anyone live?

• BC Book Prizes (2008 Finalist) • Canada Council for the Arts – Governor General’s Literary Award (2007 Finalist) • Key Porter Books • John Wilson’s Blog • Blog for The Alchemist’s Dream • One of the books from my Canadian Challenge 2 list •

I’ve entered other people’s contests lately, so it’s time to give them all a shout out!

BookRoomReviews is having a Pay it Forward July contest for The Host by Stephenie Meyers and Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter.

Bookshipper is yet another blog giving away five boxes of 14 books from Hachette Group!

Knitters & crocheters: Go visit Aunt Kathy’s Place as she is having weekly contests all this month. And there is a new entry each day with a unique way to enter!

AND! I’m helping Lex out at the Mini Book Expo posting book titles daily. Right now, alone, Lex is getting 2 – 3 books released while juggling her day job at Plethora Press & Cheap Eats Toronto. With myself and a couple others on board helping out, she’s hoping to release 6 – 8 daily from all different publishers

Also — Thanks to everyone who has entered my contest so far! Lots of time left, and lots of ways to enter. Remember, you also get extra entries for comments on other posts this month!

It’s impossible to get pictures of all of Henry’s idiosyncracies, especially when my dad is behind the camera. But …as I sit here and type this and Henry takes up most of the chair and meows at me for not paying attention to him… I’ve tried to get some photos of the love that Henry gives on a daily basis.

He likes the Left Shoulder. He doesn’t like your Right Shoulder… don’t try that. And he loves to nudge at my ponytail and chew on the elastic. He’s not interested in elastics that don’t have hair in them. Unfortunately, my dad couldn’t get a good photo of him chewing my hair:

Henry also loves to give kisses. If you let him, he will clean your face — from your ears, to your eyelids, to even your teeth and tongue. Who needs a toothbrush when you’ve got my weirdo cat?! I let him kiss my face, but when he gets a little too into it, or his tongue hurts from the roughness, I make him stop. Here he is giving me my daily kisses (note me keeping my mouth firmly closed):

• Whiskers on Wednesday •