Book Reviews
I typically post between two and three book reviews a week. Please refer to my review policy if you’d like to submit a book for consideration. I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter to get a summary of my reviews once a month.
Book Review: Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
I was in search of a new Canadian-authored Halloween book to read during October, and had trouble finding something, as I typically do. Luckily, I stumbled upon this terrifying little novella, Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw, who was a new-to-me author...
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: 4 Halloween Books to Choose From
As soon as October 1st hit, we were decorating our house orange and black. Not only do we bring out the ghosts and spiderwebs, we focus our reading on Halloween books to get the kids excited (in a sugar-free way) about the coming holiday. Below I summarize the 4 books...
Book Review: Astra by Cedar Bowers
Although it sat on my shelf for a few months, Astra by Cedar Bowers wasn't pushed to the top of my stack until it appeared on the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist. I wish my reading wasn't a slave to the prize lists, but I must admit it helps me narrow down my...
Book Review: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
I got about halfway through The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and debated closing the book for good - I just wasn't sure I could handle it anymore. The writing itself was not the problem, it was what the characters were doing to each other, or at...
Book Review: Noopiming, The Cure for White Ladies by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
September 30 is now officially Truth and Reconciliation Day here in Canada. Among other things, it's intended to help bridge the gap between settlers and Indigenous people, recognizing the harm that has been done in the past, and working towards reconciliation in the...
Book Review: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
It was only a year ago that I reviewed Stephen Graham Jones' last book, The Only Good Indians, which I really enjoyed, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest release (just in time for the beginning of the spooky season) My Heart is a Chainsaw. Don't like blood...
Book Review of Two Novellas: Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket and Happy Sands by Barb Howard
Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket I've technically read one Lemony Snicket book before; his picture book The Bad Mood and the Stick is a favourite in our house because it's so delightfully odd and the rainbow 'bad mood' is a gorgeous little illustration. I had of...
Book Review: The Listeners by Jordan Tannahill
With so much anger, division, and suspicion flying around these days, a book about cults seems extremely timely. How do people become so entrenched in their individual views, that they begin to isolate themselves from their loved ones? When someone struggles to...
Book Review: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Very rarely will I have the foresight and planning to read a book well before its release date, and post the review to coincide with its hype and subsequent launch. Luckily I've managed to do just that today! Some sources have claimed that Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony...
Book Review: A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renee Lavoie
It was a mistake on my part to not give the first book in this series, Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie its very own full review on my blog because it's a stand-out novel for me. I'm finally righting that wrong and giving the second in the series, A...
Book Review: A Sally Rooney Threesome
Do you see what I did there? For anyone who has read a Sally Rooney novel, you'll know how sex plays a role in her writing, which is a fact I've most recently become aware of since I read all three of her books. Her publisher contacted me and asked if I'd like to see...
Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I am continually impressed by the eclectic mix of books that Matt Haig has published in the past few years. The first book of his I read was historical fiction, then I moved onto a work of non-fiction which I failed to write a formal review of, but talked about on the...