I always regretted not attending this one book event; it was a snowstorm here in Calgary and no one was on the roads, so as the consummate rule follower I am, I stayed home from seeing Kate Beaton speak about her new book Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands back in 2022. I saw…
I’m a little late to the party on this one, as Lean In; Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg came out in 2013, and I’ve been meaning to read it since then. This may not seem like a long time, but in non-fiction book years, this is a very long time!…
Six years ago, I read and reviewed The Break by Katherena Vermette. It was the first in a trilogy about a violent act, and although I didn’t read the second and middle book The Strangers, I’ve now read the last in the series, The Circle. I described that first book as a literary mystery which…
As I continue to read and review self-help books in anticipation of my January radio segment for the CBC, next up is Dialed In, Do Your Best When it Matters Most by Dr. Dana Sinclair. This is a book that focuses on advice for those who want to perform better during high-pressure situations, and although…
You know you’re in for a good time when you pick up a Jennifer Weiner book. Although often relegated to the ‘chick lit’ genre, her stories typically include an element of romance but they also deal with serious issues that affect women, which is why I was so absorbed in her latest book, The Breakaway….
I haven’t done the greatest job of posting regular book reviews on my youtube channel, so I thought I’d take advantage of my holiday decorations and post a review of a Christmas-themed classic mystery story. I picked up Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith after reading a review of it over on FictionFan’s blog,…
I received close to 10 holiday picture books for review this year, but I’ve been picky and gave away a few, while I also siphoned off a few to highlight for my radio segment. I chose to highlight these 3 books because they were some of my kids’ favourites (cats make an appearance in each…
This book had been pitched to me a long time ago, and I remember thinking at the time that it was a work of horror, or maybe even dystopian fiction (the eyes on the cover are creepy, no?). When Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper finally arrived on my doorstep, I realized it wasn’t any of…
Addiction is a popular topic these days, with no shortage of narratives, both fiction and non-fiction, detailing the rise of highly addictive drugs. The opioid crisis is one that most of us are familiar with now, and if you live in an urban area like I do, you’re likely used to seeing people suffering on…
I’m not going to make a habit of reviewing middle grade fiction but I’ll admit to being convinced into reading The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett by a very persuasive pitch from a publicist at HarperCollins Canada. She said it was fantastic, and she was right (give this woman a raise!). Plus Everett is…
I’m curious if any of my readers have come across this book before, and I’d say it’s likely many of you have. I was sent the 30th anniversary edition of The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans for review, and according the internet, has sold over 8 million copies since its release in 1993. It’s…
I know I’m not alone when I say the ocean is endlessly fascinating. With so many undiscovered species living right on our planet, it’s a wonder why we are pumping so much money into space exploration, when the ocean is right here, home to millions of secrets. Susan Casey, the author of The Underworld, Journeys…
