This is the perfect book to read in the dead of a Canadian winter. Fly Me by Daniel Riley is a novel that’s set mostly in the beach community of Sela del Mar, California in the year 1972. Think bell bottoms, big sunglasses, surf culture and young kids unconcerned about skin cancer. Sounds quite heavenly,…
I was hesitant to pick up this book knowing it begins with the grisly discovery of a newborn’s bones, simply because I’m a) pregnant right now, therefore very emotional and b) already a mother of one child, which means I’m much more sensitive to stories that include any harm coming to kids of any age….
I think Will Ferguson is hilarious, in person and in writing. Full disclosure; he’s a Calgarian, so I get to see him around quite a bit, which is why I know he’s funny on and off and page. We’re not buds or anything, but I would comfortably call us literary acquaintances here in the city,…
I adored this book. I found it difficult to read, and when I finished each chapter I had to put it down and sigh out my emotions, but I already know this will be one of the best books I read this year, if not THE best. And yes, I’m aware this year just started. The…
I’m a fan of the occasional cozy mystery, although I only read them every once in awhile because they can be a bit slow. The Missing Guests of the Magic Grove Hotel by David Casarett is a perfect example of the cozy mystery; it’s slow, very slow, in fact the ‘mysteries’ that came to light…
Now that I’m an ‘urban mom’, I’m constantly on the look-out for child-friendly spaces in downtown Calgary. Recently, I discovered a wonderful place called The Children’s Reading Place, which is a beautiful little home found in the neighborhood of Inglewood, full of books and magical little reading spaces. This house in maintained by the not-for-profit…
So I think this is the first book I’ve ever read where the author is actually anonymous. Yes, the name of ‘Hendrik Groen’ has been assigned as the author of this title, but that may or may not be the actual author’s name. When The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen was released in the Netherlands,…
So I recently did an interesting mash-up of a radio segment for the CBC Homestretch where I spoke about two books that are very different; one focuses on young love while the other focuses on old love. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, Age 83 1/4 was my recommendation for Valentine’s Day, my full review…
The title of this latest post won’t surprise anyone. In fact, the only surprising thing about this whole experience was that it took me so dang long to go to this cafe, even though it’s only a ten minute drive from my house (the joys of urban living!). The Regal Cat Cafe here in Calgary…
Everyone seemed very disappointed by the fact that my last video book review didn’t have a cat in it, so I forced Pearl into this one: you’re welcome! Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the novel I review in this video, although I can see why this book would appeal to lots of other…
I’m what you call the opposite of a rebel; I fear authority and am just fine with colouring inside the lines until my final days on this earth. However, I do enjoy a bit of ‘rebellious reading’, that is, reading whatever you like, regardless of how other people perceive it-this is how I interpret Freedom…
It may come as a surprise to some that my love of reading is not limited to your typical work of fiction, memoir or self-help book. I also enjoy a nice cookbook, because I cook every single goddamn meal most of the dishes our budding little family dines on, so I’m constantly looking for new…
