Books

The Help
Kathryn Stockett
This book tells the story of black maids working in white households in the 1960s, and the struggles Skeeter, a white writer, faces when chronicling the lives of these women.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit
Mark Seal
Journalist Mark Seal conducted over 200 interviews before writing the story of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, or Clark Rockefeller as he would come to be known. This true story depicts the life of a con man who tricked everyone into believing he was a member of the famous Rockefeller family, and kidnapped his own daughter after his wife divorced him.

Room
Emma Donoghue
Room is told from the perspective of five-yearold Jack, who lives in a single room with his mother. She was kidnapped at the age of 19 and has been living in this room ever since, with the son she had with her captor. Jack's innocent perspective sheds an interesting light on the harsh reality of his life, making this sometimesdisturbing book an emotional read.

A Song of Ice and Fire series
George R. R. Martin
The fifth book of the epic fantasy series, A Dance With Dragons continues the stories of the Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens and more in this fictional Medieval setting. The first book of the series, A Game of Thrones, inspired the TV show of the same name, launching these books into the maintstream.

Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
At the request of Steve Jobs, journalist Walter Isaacson wrote the best-selling biography about the Apple Inc. icon. Jobs requested that he have no control over the contents of the book, other than its cover, and did not read it before it was published.

Bath and Beauty Products

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
Sephora, L'Occitane
With cold winter weather leaving hands cracked and chapped, this rich formula leaves hands soft and healthy. Made with honey, almond, coconut oil and 20 per cent shea butter, this hand cream is a must-have.

Maca Root Shave Cream For Men
The Body Shop
This shaving cream for men uses Peruvian maca root, creatine, Brazil nut oil, aloe vera and sesame oil to moisturize and hydrate skin. It protects skin from nicks, cuts and irritation caused by shaving.

Marc Jacobs Lola
Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart
Though perfume tends to be a personal choice based on personal taste, this feminine, floral and fruity scent works on most women. Whether it's worn subtly for day-to-day use or saved for special occasions, this pretty fragrance will make any woman happy.

Moroccanoil Original Oil Treatment
Locate a salon near you: tinyurl.com/locateasalon
A long-time salon and celebrity favourite, Moroccanoil is taking the beauty world by storm. This leave-in treatment is argan oil-based and leaves hair shiny without any residue. With repeated use, this oil will repair hair damage caused by styling and colouring.

Spa Wisdom Morocco Black Olive & Argan Oil Scrub
The Body Shop
For radiant and soft skin, this invigorating scrub is perfect. Olive stone granules and ground argan nuts gently exfoliate skin, while organic olive oil, organic honey, argan oil and orange blossom extract soothe and condition skin.

Movies

Crazy, Stupid, Love
When his wife suddenly and surprisingly asks him for a divorce, Cal finds himself back on the dating market, but without the first clue on how to navigate it. With the help of his perpetual bachelor friend Jacob, Cal will do whatever it takes to find love again.

Midnight in Paris
This one is truly for the cinema lover. In the latest flick from acclaimed director Woody Allen, the notions of the city of romance, the truth and strength of love and the beauty of life are explored in the way that no one other than Allen himself can pull off.

The Hangover Part 2
Join Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug as they travel to Thailand for Stu's wedding. After making it abundantly clear that he does not want a bachelor party, Stu and the rest of the wolf pack wake up in a filthy room in Bangkok pondering how they let this happen again.

The Help
During the 1960s in the deep American South, racism ran rampant. A young white writer named Skeeter takes on the immense yet noble task or chronicling the experiences of black maids during that era.

Water for Elephants
When young Jacob Jankowski falls on hard times, he runs away and joins the circus as a vet and animal trainer. What he finds there is the grandiose splendor of show business, the love of a beautiful woman and the danger of her controlling and violent husband.

Makeup

Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish
Sephora
Finally, a way to customize your nail design with only one bottle of nail polish. The formula includes metallic particles that move towards the surface when the magnet on the lid of the bottle is passed over the nail. It's available in three metallic shades.

Sally Hansen: Salon Effect Nail Polish Strips
Shoppers Drug Mart
Unlike the nail polish stickers of the past, these strips are made from real nail polish and are very easy to apply. They come in a variety of shades and patterns including leopard print, lace and glitter. With just a quick swipe of top coat, these appliques will last for up to 10 days.

Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette: In The Dark
Sephora
Get 10 sultry eye shadows in one compact palette. The In The Dark palette includes glittery shades such as White Gold, Black Purple, Cobalt Blue and Glitter Black. The versatile shades of shadows make playful holiday looks simple.

Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm
Sephora, American Apparel
This multi-purpose balm can be used for dry lips, irritation and to relieve the sting of minor burns. With a slight minty taste, a soft rose colour and a very subtle glossy shine, this is one lip balm that everyone should have.

Stila Lip and Cheek Stain
Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart
This versatile lip and cheek stain reacts the the natural pH in your skin, creating a perfect personalized shade. The formula contains antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E to keep lips and skin nourished. It's available in colours such as Pomegranite Crush, Coconut Crush, Cherry Crush and more.

Video Games

Assassin's Creed: Revelations
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
In the final chapter of the Assassin's Creed Renaissance-era story, players once again take on the role of Ezio Auditore as he battles the Templars throughout Constantinople to stop their quest for world domination. Areas of the city must be captured from the Templars, and players must defend controlled areas against recapture.

Battlefield 3
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
This first-person shooter features online play and a single-player campaign. The online portion features an unlock system, which advances a soldier's weapons arsenal.

C.O.D.: Modern Warfare 3
PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
This is a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2, and it is the eighth game in the Call of Duty franchise. Many features of MW2 have been revamped in this game, including the Killstreak reward system, the ranking system and the unlock system. Two new game modes have been added: Kill Confirmed and Team Defender.

Skyrim
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
The fifth chapter in the Elder Scrolls saga, this RPG features an extraordinary amount of hours of gameplay to enjoy, as players explore the icy lands of Skyrim, complete quests and slay dragons. A new gameplay mechanic called dragon shouts allows players to harness the powers of the dragons themselves.

Skyward Sword
Wii
In the latest Legend of Zelda game, Link returns to once again save the princess, this time using the Wii's new MotionPlus controls, which allows one-to-one movement between the remote and ingame sword. Players hack, slash and thrust their way through new dungeons, solve puzzles and soar through the skies on the back of a Loftwing.