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: God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya
I've raved about Calgary author and artist Vivek Shraya on this blog before, so when given the chance to review the 10th anniversary edition of her first book God Loves Hair (previously self-published) I was excited to dive in and witness the evolution of her writing....
Book Review: The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson
Historical fiction isn't typically a genre I get excited about. It's one of those things that I tend to enjoy once I've been forced into it, but don't actively seek it out on my own (I also feel this way about travel, and I blame my father for this general...
Book Review: Vermin by Lori Hahnel
As the economy continues to take a nose dive here in Alberta, I'm becoming more and more determined to read local and encouraging others to do the same. When possible, buying locally-authored books from an independent book store is even better because it keeps the...
Video Book Review: Short Story & Chocolate Advent Calendar Re-Cap
As in past years, I'm continuing with the short story advent calendar this holiday season. I've also decided to go local with my chocolate advent calendar, so I'm highlighting the wonderful treats that Calgary-based The Chocolate Lab has to offer in their advent...
Book Review: One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
I don't watch a lot of television, and I only have Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ for streaming services (of which I don't watch very often), so I tend to miss out on the dearth of holiday hallmark movies that come out this time of year. Luckily, books are always...
Mini Book Reviews: Non-Fiction Holiday Books
Each Fall I send an email to the major publishers I review for, asking them for their holiday specific titles. I do this because I need to plan for my radio segments early, but I also love reading for the specific season. If it was a normal year I would recommend...
Book Review: Why the Rock Falls by J.E. Barnard
Do you avoid jumping into the middle of a mystery series and insist on reading the 1st book first? I rarely get the opportunity to read a series in consecutive order, so I have no problem starting halfway through, but I do realize this sets me back in the character...
Book Review: El Jefe, The Stalking of Chapo Guzman by Alan Feuer
As I plan and prepare for my bookish gift-giving guide for the 2020 holidays, I find myself dipping into books I wouldn't normally pick up. Many of my long-time readers are probably a bit curious about the selection of books I've been diving into lately, and this is...
Book Review: Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys
Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys is my online book club's November pick (yes, that's still going!), and days after we announced our choice, a reader messaged me to say it took her only four hours to read. I love a fast read, so I was delighted when I read this in a...
IveReadThis Jr. Edition: The World Around Them
When I saw the announcement for the upcoming release of the picture book Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky, I was really excited. I had been looking for a way to approach the topic of racism with my 5 year-old because she hears the...
Book Review: White Ivy by Susie Yang
I've been so excited to dive into this debut novel since it landed on my doorstep a few months ago, and although I thought it was going to be a book mainly about race, wealth is the true focal point of the story. White Ivy by Susie Yang has been compared to Little...
Book Review: A History of my Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt
The more I read, the more eager I am for a challenge, or at the very least, the more I want to read stories that aren't entirely straightforward or obvious. After the entertaining Harry's Trees from last week, I headed back to my book shelf in search of a book that...