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: If You Hear Me by Pascale Quiviger

Book Review: If You Hear Me by Pascale Quiviger

Sometimes it feels good to just have a little cry, and you'll have to keep the therapeutic benefits of sobbing in mind if you plan on reading If You Hear Me by Pascale Quiviger, translated from the French by Lazer Lederhendler. It's a daunting read knowing it centers...

read more
Book Review: Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Book Review: Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

When I saw the cover of this book I was intrigued (and mildly grossed out?), but when I read the description of it, and the promise of sex scandals with professors on campus, I thought - sounds spicy! Perfect for this time of year when everything is melting, muddy,...

read more
Book Review: Manikanetish by Naomi Fontaine

Book Review: Manikanetish by Naomi Fontaine

I seem to have great luck with the translated books that I read, and that success is mostly due to the careful eye of the editors at the Arachnide imprint from Canadian press House of Anansi. They regularly choose the best and the brightest when it comes to translated...

read more
IveReadThis Jr. Edition: The Natural World Around Them

IveReadThis Jr. Edition: The Natural World Around Them

What I loved about all these books was the ability to open up my kids' minds to something different - a different way of life, a different way of seeing things, and most importantly, a different perspective, and the gorgeous illustrations in each were just the...

read more
Book Review: A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

Book Review: A Carnival of Snackery by David Sedaris

I had been saving the latest book from David Sedaris on my shelf for awhile, because I wanted to 'treat' myself to it when I was ready to enjoy my favourite author without interruptions. So when I managed to score myself a ticket to his Calgary show on February 27,...

read more
Book Review: Obsidian by Thomas King

Book Review: Obsidian by Thomas King

I don't like taking risks, but when I do, they are usually book-related. I threw caution to the wind last week and started reading a mystery series five books in. Obsidian by Thomas King is the latest in his DreadfulWater Mystery Series which I've had recommended to...

read more
Book Review: Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley

Book Review: Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley

Does a book called "Hot Stew" all about a crowded neighborhood kind of give you the willies? Normally I'd say 'me too', but because I've spent the last two years avoiding people, Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley sounded like something I wanted to dive into immediately. It's...

read more
Book Review: The Troupers by Richard Scarsbrook

Book Review: The Troupers by Richard Scarsbrook

Classic films and television have never been an interest of mine; perhaps it's because I don't have time to watch much these days, the thought of sitting down to something produced decades ago never held much appeal, but knowledge of films from the 40s, 50s and 60s...

read more
Book Review: These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Book Review: These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

I've come to that point in my reading life that I no longer can recall if I've read certain books. I was so certain I had read an Ann Patchett book before this one, but according to my hand-written reading log and Goodreads, These Precious Days is my first Patchett...

read more
Book Review: Assembly by Natasha Brown

Book Review: Assembly by Natasha Brown

This slim little novel piqued my interest when I saw a short description of it in a catalogue. It touches upon race, class, gender, and the existential dread that millennials in particular seem to dwell upon, (what does it all mean? etc.) made even worse by the...

read more
[/db_pb_signup][/db_pb_signup]